Aussie racing champion's bid to join elite club

1 year ago 66

In the much than 100 years of IndyCar racing done its assorted guises, 26 drivers person won the rubric much than once.

Of those 26, conscionable 2 person gone back-to-back.

Will Power could go the 3rd this year, joining Dario Franchitti and Sam Hornish Jr successful that elite club.

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Hornish Jr was the archetypal to bash the double, winning the 2001 and 2002 titles with the now-defunct Panther Racing. He aboriginal won the 2006 crown with Team Penske.

Franchitti went 1 better, going back-to-back-to-back from 2009 to 2011, adding 3 titles to the archetypal that helium claimed successful 2007.

Power, present a two-time champion, bushed Team Penske stablemate Josef Negarden to the 2022 rubric successful a twelvemonth that saw the Australian decorativeness extracurricular the apical 5 connected conscionable 5 occasions.

Power is among the favourites for this year's crown, and though past says back-to-back championships are a uncommon thing, he's conscious of what his squad is susceptible of.

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"It's lone race-by-race," helium said connected the eve of the season-opener successful St Petersburg.

"I americium good alert I tin spell back-to-back, which would beryllium fantastic, but the mentality attack is conscionable race-by-race, extracting the astir retired of each azygous thigh fundamentally erstwhile you get down to the nitty-gritty.

"I didn't realise lone 2 radical had ever gone backmost to back. There's lone 2 people. That's crazy. That's awesome to amusement however competitory our bid is."

Power, who celebrated his 42nd day connected Thursday, said he's expecting the fiercest contention to travel from his teammates.

Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin are expected to beryllium front-runners alongside Chip Ganassi Racing's apical 2 drivers Alex Palou and Scott Dixon.

Colton Herta volition pb Andretti Autosport's efforts with second-year operator Kyle Kirkwood a acheronian equine for the squad.

McLaren has pinched Alexander Rossi from the Andretti camp, joining different front-runner Pato O'Ward and his off-sider Felix Rosenqvist.

In the end, Power picked 2021 champion Palou to beryllium his biggest rival extracurricular his teammates.

"I privation to accidental Palou is astir apt going to beryllium the different toughest feline I think," said Power.

"Who knows if (Colton) Herta gets immoderate existent bully consistency. It's precise hard to say.

"I mean, Dixon is ever there. I consciousness similar Palou is simply a faster mentation of Dixon due to the fact that he's highly accelerated and consistent.

"I deliberation evidently they're some highly bully drivers. The tract is afloat of precise bully drivers.

Will Power wins 2nd IndyCar crown

"I deliberation you'll larn implicit the archetypal 5 races who is truly close successful the game," helium added.

"It's truthful hard to predict. So galore accelerated drivers and accelerated teams, bully teams. Who knows?

"You cognize the Penske cars volition beryllium good, Ganassi volition beryllium good, the Andretti guys. You person Kirkwood successful determination now, which I deliberation he'll beryllium precise strong.

"Yeah, a clump of guys. McLaren guys. Like it's crazy. It's very, precise fiercely competitive."

This year's IndyCar Series gets underway connected the streets of St Petersburg connected March 6 astatine 4.30am.

Coverage is live, ad-free, and exclusively connected Stan Sport.

IndyCar winners (two titles oregon more):

Seven: A.J. Foyt

Six: Scott Dixon

Four: Mario Andretti, Sebastien Bourdais, Dario Franchitti

Three: Louis Meyer, Ted Horn, Jimmy Bryan, Rick Mears, Al Unser, Bobby Rahal, Sam Hornish Jr.

Two: Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Alex Zanardi, Gil De Ferran, JJimmy Murphy, Pete DePaolo, Wilbur Shaw, Rex Mays, Tony Bettenhausen, Rodger Ward, Joe Leonard, Bobby Unser, Tom Sneva, Al Unser Jr.

(Italics denotes progressive driver)

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