Will Power wins IndyCar Grand Prix

Will Power has scored his first win of the season, claiming the IndyCar Grand Prix in Indianapolis.

Australian driver Will Power has won the IndyCar Grand Prix for his first victory of the season, leading 61 of 85 laps and easily holding off New Zealand's Scott Dixon on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's road course.

Power gave Team Penske their third straight victory this season and third in a row on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course.

The 36-year-old Power also won the inaugural event in 2015.

The victory margin of 5.2830 seconds didn't seem that close, and Ryan Hunter-Reay was a distant third.

"I was just very conscious of the gap Dixon was closing and I kept thinking 'He's going to burn his tyres off' and then he kept closing," Power said.

"Then, boom, suddenly they went and I knew we were good.

"It was good to get a win. It was good for everyone."

Until this weekend, nothing had come easily for Power this season.

A mechanical problem took him out of the season opener at St Petersburg.

He seemed destined to win at Alabama until a flat tyre forced him to pit and dropped him to 14th.

The following week, at Phoenix, Power also was in contention for the lead - until a caution flag came out while he was already on pit lane.

He wound up second, more than nine seconds behind teammate Simon Pagenaud.

In Indy, Power was on a mission to change his misfortunes - and he did.

He posted the fastest lap in practice Friday then won the pole in a track record time.

Power picked up his 30th career win in his 175th career start and moved past teammate Helio Castroneves and former Penske driver Rick Mears into No.11 on the all-time victory list.

And this time, nothing got between Power and victory lane-not even a caution period

Power joined Pagenaud as the only two-time winners of the race.

Pagenaud won the inaugural race in 2014 and again last season.


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Source: AAP



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