ADVENT CALENDAR DOOR 12 – 12 Iconic Will Power / Team Penske Moments
2026 marks a new era for 2-time IndyCar champion Will Power as he joins the Andretti IndyCar team having spent the last 15 years racing for Team Penske.
With the team he won 45 races and took 108 podiums, both good enough for 4th all time.
Power/Penske will go down as one of the most successful driver/team pairings in racing history. Let’s relive this great pairing with 12 of their most iconic moments together.
#12 – POWER SNAPS – New Hampshire 2011
Memorable for all the wrong reasons but an image too iconic not to include. As the laps winded down a restart loomed, the problem? Many drivers were reporting rain, but the race director let the field go green.
The result? Almost immediately there was a multi-car accident, with Will Power hitting the pit wall destroying the rear end of his car. He was furious with the race direction and made sure everyone knew it by infamously throwing race control the double bird on the big screen. You can have a look at that image here.
It was a hot-headed moment that defined his early years in the sport.
#11 – FIRST VICTORY: Edmonton 2009
One couldn’t dream of a more perfect maiden victory, pole position, race win, leading 90/95 laps, absolutely unreal. The beginning of sth legendary, much more would follow in the next couple of years.
#10 – POWER’S ICONIC START: Long Beach 2009
Power won the Long Beach Grand Prix in 2008 Long Beach event which was still under the CART sanctioning body. His first IndyCar race was still impressive, starting on poke he finished 2nd, his third top 3 in as many tries. It was also his first race in the iconic black #12 Verizon car that absolutely runs my childhood memories of IndyCar!
#9 – POWER ON A CHARGE: Belle Isle 2022
Starting 16th, few would have pegged Will Power to finish on the podium at Detroit’s Belle Isle circuit. Alas he did even better, claiming victory with a race high 55 laps led! Proving once again that he could never be counted out, while also verifying that his new calmer approach to racing was paying off with results.
#8 – A CHAMPIONS WIN: St. Pete 2014
The 2014 season couldn’t have started any better for Will Power, as he took a commanding victory, which set the precedent for a year to come.
#7 – THE POWER RETURNS: Road America 2024
Fresh off his first winless season, Power was hungrier than ever, a further 3 podiums in the opening 6 races of 2024 added fuel to the fire. So when the IndyCar circus returned to Road America Power came prepared to remind everyone who he was. Controlling the race from start to finish claiming an emotional return to victory lane.
#6 – THE END OF IT ALL… : 2025 Indy 500
The 2025 season was a nightmare for all of team Penske, many oddities were happening on a weekly basis, but nothing took the wind out of their sails like both Power and Newgarden’s cars being thrown out from qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. The resultant restructuring meant the whole rest of the season was a wash and this was definitely the low point.
#5 – PROVE THEM WRONG: Portland 2025
Amid rumours picking up that Power was going to be pushed out at Team Penske for 2026, Power came to Portland and delivered an outstanding performance to win comfortably over the dominant Alex Palou, giving Penske their first win of the year in race 15/17 and making the team’s decision a lot more uncomfortable.
#4 – POWER ON TOP: Fontana 2014
His first championship came under the lights on the high speed Fontana circuit, as his car blended into the night and he drove home to a top 10, securing the title with 3 wins and 7 podiums!
#3 – POWER TO THE FRONT: Laguna Seca 2022
The fastest driver in IndyCar history, Power started what would be a historic weekend by passing Mario Andretti to claim the most pole positions in IndyCar history with his 68th pole run at the iconic Laguna Seca.
#2 – POWER OF A CHAMP: Laguna Seca 2022
Winning the championship once wasn’t enough. But it took 8 years and a complete switch in how he approached the racetrack. His podium at the finale gave him the crown by just 16 points over Newgarden, 50 to Palou in 5th. One of the most unpredictable title fights in recent memory and the old head came through.
#1 – DRINKING THE MILK: 2018 Indy 500
What else could it be? Winning this race guarantees immortality and racing for Team Penske it was a must to one day win the Indianapolis 500. Even still his 2018 triumph remains one of his best races and an easy pick for #1 on this list.
written by Carlos Faria // Media Credit: Penske Entertainment
