IndyCar’s biggest kid loves to sing, play the drums, revels in old-school hip hop, and has no interest in hearing the end of his illustrious career is near.
At 43, the mercurial Will Power, from the modest town of Toowoomba, Australia, is in his 20th season racing at the top of American open-wheel racing. The past 16 years have been spent as Roger Penske’s most consistent threat to win IndyCar races and championships, and he’s in the thick of yet another battle for IndyCar supremacy, hunting for another Astor Cup — IndyCar’s version of the Stanley Cup — in the few weeks of action that remain.
Most racecar drivers are relics by the age of 43, resting on past achievements, clinging to careers in steep decline. It’s here where Power, with his victory on Sunday at the Portland Grand Prix, offered the latest reminder of his timeless ability to crush the competition as he earned the 44th IndyCar win of his career, which moved him to fourth on the all-time list.
And like his fellow 43-year-old Fernando Alonso continues to prove in Formula One, Power’s triumph in Portland — his third win of the season, more than any other driver — is yet another piece of evidence that physical age is no longer a relevant marker in judging an athlete’s competitiveness.
Where Power’s career arc varies from Alonso’s is found in their relative stations. Mired with the midfield Aston Martin outfit, Alonso sits ninth in F1’s drivers’ championship. In a Red Bull or McLaren, the Spaniard would be a nightmare, but with his current employer, and despite his generational talent, the double world champion is unable to factor in how the title will be settled.
Power’s reality is altogether different at Team Penske — one of IndyCar’s two best teams — where he holds second in the championship with three races left to run. Already a two-time IndyCar title winner, Power secured his first in 2014 at the age of 33, won his first Indianapolis 500 in 2018 at 37, and scored his second championship in 2022 at 41. Thanks to his unwavering form in 2024, he’s chasing Alonso’s countryman, fellow two-time IndyCar champion Álex Palou, for a third title a full 10 years after capturing No. 1.
“I really do feel like I get better every year, man,” Power told ESPN. “I’m driving better this year…
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