Australian Will Power wins Indy Cars title; NZers third and fourth

Australian driver Will Power has won the Indy Cars championship title after finishing third in the final round in California.

Australian Indycar driver Will Power.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Australian driver Will Power has won the Indy Cars championship title after finishing third in the final round in California.

Power needed a top three finish to clinch his second series crown – and he achieved that, easing home behind race winner Alex Palou and Team Penske team-mate Josef Newgarden.

New Zealand drivers Scott Dixon and Scott McLaughlin both had slim chances of clinching the championship coming into the race at the Laguna Seca raceway.

However, six-time champion Dixon could only manage 12th place, to finish third overall, while McLaughlin was sixth across the line to finish his campaign in fourth.

Power and Dixon were the only drivers to finish every lap this season and the Australian said consistency was part of a mental shift to take what the car offered in each race, rather than overdrive into mistakes.

“From the beginning (of the season), it was just playing the long game, not necessarily going for the big wins and all that,” Power said.

Power, 41, won just one race this season but he produced 12 top-five finish in 17 races – three more than any other driver.

He beat teammate Josef Newgarden to the crown by 16 points to add to his 2014 title. Dixon was a further 23 back in third.

Chip Ganassi Racing Honda driver Dixon is still searching for the seventh championship title he craves to move level with the record held by US great AJ Foyt.

His car lacked the speed of team-mate Polau in the final race of the season.

“We ultimately just didn’t have the pace,” 42-year-old Dixon said.

“You win some, you lose some, man. This team never gave up.”

Asked if he would return next year, Dixon was adamant.

“It’s all that matters … No 7 and the Indy 500. Maybe next year, maybe the year after, we will keep pushing.”

Former Supercars champion McLaughlin picked up three race wins in his second full season of open-wheel racing in a Team Penske Chevrolet.

– RNZ