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Power Stretches Point Lead With Milwaukee Win

Will Power celebrates in AJ Foyt Victory Lane after winning the ABC Supply Company Wisconsin 250 IndyCar Series race.  [Russ Lake Photo]

 

West Allis, Wis. – August 17, 2014 – There was a beaming winner, Will Power, after today’s ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 at the historic Milwaukee Mile. And there were two very frustrated runners-up: Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Kanaan.

Power, who is chasing his first Verizon IndyCar Series crown had, by his own admission, a fairly easy day, leading 229 of the 250 laps in an oval track race that he, “had in mind all year that I wanted to win.”

And win he did, actually dominating Penske teammate Montoya, and Ganassi Racing’s Kanaan and Scott Dixon and Andretti Autosport and the Milwaukee Brewers if they had a car entered.

“I love being on ovals, now it’s my favorite type of track. I was side-by side with Tony and Juan pushed hard to get through traffic and pass me, but during the last 50 laps we were trying to save enough fuel and still go fast,” noted the Australian who started from the pole and scored his third win of 2014. He now leads teammate Helio Castroneves by 39 points as he has his sights firmly set on the Verizon championship with two races left on the schedule.

Montoya and Kanaan only wondered what might have been, as slow traffic kept both from making any kind of a dent in Power’s lead.

“Traffic was frustrating all day. Here on the short ovals you’re behind the same guy every 15 laps. The officials need to be more aggressive-people that don’t learn will never learn,” explained the former Formula 1 and NASCAR veteran. “Talent seems to drop off when the green flag is dropped.”

Kanaan, who often laughs off on-track troubles, was equally stymied by traffic which should have moved over for the leaders.

“The problem is the person behind the wheel. You’ve got to realize if you’re not having a good day. I understand it if you’re fighting to stay on the lead lap,” said the 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner. ”Why waste my time talking to them-they never learn.”

Just one caution flag slowed the Power/Penske onslaught. Carlos Munoz made minor contact on lap 130, slowing the pace for nine laps.

Fifth-place finisher Josef Newgarden found himself in the middle of the Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing domination, and also found it hard to pass on the tight one-mile oval.

“It’s just a track that’s difficult to make something happen. I was trying so hard to save fuel, leaning out as much as I could and I was lifting and even then it was hard for Kanaan to get around me and he was one of the strongest guys today,” noted the Sarah Fisher Hartman driver who may be fighting for his ride for next year. “We took a gamble and it didn’t work out for us, but I’m happy we got back in the top 5. We had to stop for fuel and we weren’t planning on it. I was thinking we were going to run in third place till the end. The stop put us down to 11th place, so  taking on tires was an advantage. I can’t believe we made it back to fifth.”

Andretti Autosport, a team that has dominated the Mile in recent years, had a less than satisfactory finish today as Marco Andretti (13th), James Hinchcliffe (19th), Ryan Hunter-Reay (21st) and Carlos Munoz (22nd)  failed to even finish on the lead lap.

“Today we went from bad to worse,” said Andretti. “We made our way to the front and were going to hang in there for a top five or six finish but we had a long pit stop there towards the end. Looks like something went wrong with getting the fuel into the car.”

And sixteen place finisher Charlie Kimball echoed what other drivers said about traffic. “As a group maybe we weren’t as good in traffic and here at the historic Milwaukee Mile it’s so easy to get caught up behind guys that are a second or two off the pace.”

The series moves to the road course in Sonoma, CA next week with Power and Castroneves leading the standings followed by Simon Pagenaud (-92), Hunter-Reay (-108) and Montoya (-114).

The final Verizon series race of the year is the 500-miler on Fontana’s superspeedway in two weeks. The race pays double points and should give the pack a chance to catch Power, who seems to have a renewed confidence.

“It’s good going to the track knowing you have a chance to win. I don’t have any weaknesses any more. Ovals were a weakness, but now I’m stronger. That’s how you become a champion.”

 

 

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