Power supreme in brilliant street contest

The last ever IndyCar race on Belle Isle proved that the series doesn’t need the ‘artificial’ condensing of the field by a caution period to produce prodigious amounts of passing and a tension-filled climax. There was just one caution flag, on the very last lap when Rinus VeeKay speared into the Turn 6 tyre wall. Aside from that, it was just great racing, the result of a variety of strategies, a huge difference in durability between the Firestone alternate tyres and primaries, some of the fastest driver/car combinations starting unexpectedly low down, and a venue with several passing opportunities.

And at the end of the day, too, came the satisfaction of knowing that victory had gone to the right driver: no one but Will Power could have won that race in that manner. The long-time Team Penske ace used his speed and aggression when he needed to in the first two stints, and then his smoothness, delicacy and judgement in the third and final stint to eke out his alternate tyres’ lifespan to 20 laps and not fight his way past