Tactical run takes Power from 22nd to victory in Iowa Race 2

Passing came at a premium during the second Hy-Vee doubleheader at Iowa Speedway, and thanks to a masterful strategy that saw Will Power saving fuel in the No. 12 Team Penske Chevy to shorten his final pit stop, Power overtook Alex Palou exiting the pits and led the Chip Ganassi Racing driver and teammate Scott McLaughlin to the finish line.

Other than A.J. Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci passing everything in sight in the middle of the 250-lap contest, it was a processional race where fuel strategy and pit stops made the difference, and when it mattered Team Penske got the job done and swept both races.

“Massive fuel save, honestly,” Power said of his secret to victory. “Just sitting in the pack and had a really good car, really fast car, so just sat back and use that pace to save fuel to get a massive number. I knew once all those guys pulled in, I could go hard. Then we caught a yellow, because that was the thing we were hoping for — to get one of those yellows — [to] put us to the front. I’ve been trying to win this race for years, so over the moon. The guys did a great job.”

Team Chevy also dominated the event with all three podium spots on Saturday and two of the three on Sunday.

Palou looked primed to get his first oval win, but settled for second.

“It was a good weekend,” he said. “Yesterday, it was a terrible day for us. Just made too many mistakes, but rebounded today, almost got the win, and it was really tough to pass. I think nobody could pass. It was a very boring race to drive. They got us in the pits because they had a little more fuel, same as what we did to [McLaughlin]. Solid P2 moving forward to Toronto next week.”

McLaughlin made major headway in the championship in Iowa jumping to fifth in the standings and slashing his deficit to Palou almost in half.

“We could have easily got two wins, but we got two podiums, and that’s a great day,” he said. “I come into some tracks now — Toronto, Gateway, Portland — that I’ve won before. I feel really strong. It’s the end of the season, so yeah, it’s anyone’s game.”

The only significant drama from the race occurred on the final lap — after Power and his pursuers took the checkered flag — as Sting Ray Robb crashed into the slowing Alexander Rossi which sent Robb airborne and upside down and Rossi, Kyle Kirkwood and Ed Carpenter into each other, with Carpenter vaulting over Rossi onto the top of Kirkwood’s cockpit. All barring Robb were seen and released by IndyCar Medical. Robb, who was announced by the series as awake, alert, and in good condition, was dispatched to a local hospital for further evaluation.

The fourth race in three straight weekends is up next in Toronto before IndyCar heads into a long Olympic break.

The closer at Iowa had polesitter Scott McLaughlin lead the opening laps ahead of Alex Palou and Scott Dixon. Josef Newgarden moved up to P10 from P14 and Conor Daly, starting P27, was up to P24 by lap 5.

Lap 25 and the race was following Saturday’s 250-lap run where passes at the start and restarts were where moves were made, and a few laps later, the field was largely locked into position until pit stops or a caution occurred. McLaughlin led Palou by 0.7s and Dixon by 1.4s.

Santino Ferrucci, who started P19, was holding P15 by lap 30 and was searching for a way past Linus Lundqvist in P14.

On lap 42, McLaughlin’s lead over Herta was the same 0.7s and 1.3s on Dixon. Twenty four laps later, the Penske driver’s lead over Herta was the same 0.7s and 1.2s. Newgarden was stuck in P10 and Ferrucci was stuck in P15. Nothing was happening.

Conor Daly pitted on lap 88. His right-front tire changer didn’t get the wheel tight, had to retrieve the wheel gun to hit it again, and lost many laps.

Lap 92 and McLaughlin’s lead over Herta was still 0.7s and 1.3s on Dixon.

The first round of pit stops proper began at lap 95. McLaughlin came in the next lap from the lead. Herta follows.

Palou was lapping in the lead at lap 100 and pitted just as Agustin Canapino spun in Turn 2 exiting the pits. The first yellow flew on lap 101 as Palou completed his stop and left the pits. Championship contender Will Power had yet to pit when the pits closed and took the lead on fumes.

Lap 105 and Palou was second; McLaughlin, third; Dixon, fourth and Herta, fifth.

Power resumed in second after pitting on lap 108, with the field ready to get back to racing. The series first needed to move some cars around before the restart. Newgarden sat P10 and Ferrucci, P16. Green flew again at lap 114.

Lap 118 and Daly overtakes teammate Katherine Legge for P24. Lap 119 and Ferrucci was up to P13; Newgarden was still P10. Ferrucci took P12 from Felix Rosenqvist on lap 121, then P11 from Newgarden two laps later. In another two laps, he takes P10 from Romain Grosjean.

By lap 150 the no-passing phase has been in effect for a while. Palou led Power by 0.25s and McLaughlin by 1.2s. Daly retires.

Lap 166 and Palou leads Power by 0.4s and McLaughlin by 1.1s. Lap 177 and Palou leads Power by 0.4s and McLaughlin by 1.1s. Lap 187 and Palou leads Power by 0.4s and McLaughlin by 1.1s. You see the pattern… Rosenqvist pits with some form of right-rear suspension issue.

McLaughlin and Ferrucci pit on lap 198 as more start to head in.

Herta pits on lap 203. Dixon came in one lap later. On lap 205, Palou ducked in while Power stayed out. He brought the No. 2 in a lap later.

Thanks to “Penske Perfect” pit work, Power came out the lead in front of Palou on lap 208.

No-passing came back over the next 10 laps. Power led Palou by 0.4s and McLaughlin by 2.6s. Newgarden was up to P8. Ferrucci was back to P14.

Lap 232 and Power led Palou by 0.4s and McLaughlin by 2.5s. Without a caution, this is how it was expected to finish.

Power crossed the line ahead of Palou and McLaughlin on lap 250 as a huge crash occurred coming out of Turn 2, with Ed Carpenter’s car sitting on top of Kyle Kirkwood’s cockpit. Alexander Rossi was also involved, and even worse, Sting Ray Robb slid past upside down.

Rossi looked slow coming out of Turn 2, and while Robb attempted to take avoiding action, he drove over Rossi’s left-rear tire and shot into the air before crashing down and barrel rolling.

The AMR Safety Team got to Robb’s car quickly in Turn 3 and turned it over. All drivers appeared to be OK, but Robb was placed on a stretcher—he was moving his limbs and smiling while talking to the EMTs—and taken for observation.

RESULTS

Story originally appeared on Racer