FONTANA, Calif. — Will Power won his first IndyCar Series championship Saturday night, finishing ninth in the final race and claiming the season title after a career filled with agonizing misses.
Tony Kanaan won the 500-mile, double-points race at Fontana for his first victory of the season, but Power drove an intelligent race with just enough aggression to preserve his healthy points lead.
After briefly taking the lead late, Power comfortably held off second-place teammate Helio Castroneves and wrapped up Team Penske’s first IndyCar title since 2006.
Starting from the back after a poor qualifying run, Power patiently picked his way through the field to the front. After a restart late in the race, the Australian roared into the lead with authority, showing he wasn’t about to back into his first title.