NASCAR’s Will Power looks to extend winning form
Will Power’s one by one approach to the Indy car series in the second part of the season not only gives but strengthens the foundation of a first season championship. His last two consecutive race victories proved that he is undoubtedly in good form and perfect condition to secure another race win and extend his lead in the championship over the second position Dario Franchitti.
Will’s calm and composed driving in the Honda Indy Toronto this past weekend not only resulted in his 4th victory of the season but he became the only driver with more than one win this season. The overall lead that he has now after the race in Toronto extends to 42 points over Franchitti. With seven races left he is now one of the favourites to clinch the title.
The next race is at the Edmonton course where Will Power opened his account of race victories by clinching his first series victory last year. This is second time that Will Power will be seeking to become only the fourth driver in the series history to have won three races in a row the previous being Scott Dixon 2007, Dan Wheldon 2005 and Kenny Brack 1998. Will Power has won the Brazilian race, St. Petersburg, and also secured the Watkins-Glen Toronto combo this season.
Will Power believes that if anybody was put in the position he was, provided with the equipment that he had, and the team support that he gets, anybody in his position was bound to grab the chance that he did and win the race as he did this past weekend in Toronto.
He also added that it was more of about the team by winning and giving them a reward for what they did during the race and practice sessions.
The Edmonton course physically is very demanding. Given a natural terrain course, being ahead of the row is very advantageous and helps the cause of a race victory. After this event there are 4 oval race events. This is a very tough and demanding schedule. Will has already expressed his willingness to win an oval race event and wants to fulfil his desire sooner rather than later.
Dario Franchitti, the 2nd place man in the Drivers championship has a good record of finishes in the 14 oval events that comprise of three race victories and only two finishes out of the top 10. The previous race proved the competition was heating up by the fact that the top 10 positions in Toronto comprised of seven different teams. Franchitti takes all the upcoming races as vital.
Franchitti, the 2009 Toronto race winner and the reigning series champion lost ground to the inform Will Power. But drivers Scott Dixon, Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves also posed no threat to Power, as he passed the chequered flag to record his race win in Toronto.
Castroneves, another driver who expected more, expressed his disappointment about how he had been in the 3rd spot at the start of the race, but finished on a season low, 24th position.
He also said that the car was awesome and he and his team could surely have fought for the win. Castroneves was involved in the incident involving him and Vitor Meira, when Vitor broke early into turn 3 on lap 22 and he didn’t expect it which resulted in him not being a contender for a race win. Castroneves and his team are hopeful that in this up-coming race they will not only work harder as a group but also try to emerge as the victors of the race.
Franchitti, on the other hand, is expecting to improve not just by finishing behind the winner but by being the winner. Franchitti is going for the race win so as to make this season all the more exciting with seven events yet to race. Pushing for the race victory and standing where Will stood last weekend is the only way Franchitti can be crowned the series champion for the 3rd time.
Franchitti and his team tried till the very end to beat Will Power but the strategy they chose this year didn’t pay off that well. Will Power’s driving on the 18th of July in Toronto was praised by drivers like Franchitti. The speed developments in the series are very intense at the moment, even though the teams have had these cars for a long time.
The Edmonton Race takes place this weekend from 23-25th of July and should be very important to set the stage for the final events as the championship nears its end this season.
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