Will Power facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Will Power |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg)
Power at the 2021 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
|
|||||||
| Nationality |  Australian |
||||||
| Born | William Steven Power 1 March 1981 Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia |
||||||
| Awards | 2006 Champ Car Rookie of the Year | ||||||
| IndyCar Series career | |||||||
| 279 races run over 18 years | |||||||
| Team(s) | No. 12 (Team Penske) | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (2014, 2022) | ||||||
| First race | 2008 Gainsco Auto Insurance Indy 300 (Homestead) | ||||||
| Last race | 2021 Honda Indy 200 (Mid-Ohio) | ||||||
| First win | 2008 Grand Prix of Long Beach (Long Beach) |
||||||
| Last win | 2024 Grand Prix of Portland (Portland) | ||||||
|
|||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 30 races run over 3 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 4th (2007) | ||||||
| First race | 2005 Lexmark Indy 300 (Surfers Paradise) | ||||||
| Last race | 2007 Gran Premio Tecate (Mexico City) | ||||||
| First win | 2007 Las Vegas Grand Prix (Las Vegas) | ||||||
| Last win | 2007 Steelback Grand Prix (Toronto) | ||||||
|
|||||||
| Previous series | |||||||
| 1999–2000 2000–01 2002 2002 2003–04 2005 2005–06 |
Queensland Formula Ford Australian Formula Ford Australian Formula 3 Australian Drivers' Championship British Formula Three World Series by Renault A1 Grand Prix |
||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| 2000 2002 2010–2012, 2014, 2015 2018 |
Queensland Formula Ford Australian Drivers' Championship IndyCar Series – Road Course Trophy Indianapolis 500 Winner |
||||||
William Steven Power (born 1 March 1981) is an Australian racing driver. He competes in the IndyCar Series for Team Penske, driving the No. 12 Dallara-Chevrolet car. Will Power is a two-time IndyCar Champion, winning in 2014 and 2022. He also won the famous 2018 Indianapolis 500 race.
Power is one of the most successful drivers in Indy car racing history. He holds the record for the most pole positions (71). He is also fourth all-time in wins (44) and fourth all-time in podium finishes (107).
Contents
Early Racing Career
Will Power was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. His father, Bob Power, was also a race car driver. Will started racing at a young age, driving a Datsun 1200.
In 1999, he began racing in the Queensland Formula Ford Championship. He won his first title in this series in 2000. At the same time, he competed in the Australian Formula Ford Championship, finishing seventh. In 2001, he placed second in the Australian series.
After Formula Ford, Power moved to Formula Holden in 2002. He quickly became a champion, winning the 2002 Australian Drivers' Championship. He won 7 races and earned 3 pole positions that year. He also raced in the Australian Formula 3 Championship, finishing second despite missing some early races.
Racing in Europe
In 2003, Will Power moved to Europe to race in the British Formula 3 Championship. He showed his talent by finishing second in a race at Thruxton. In 2004, he had a full season and achieved five podium finishes.
A cool moment in 2004 was when he tested a Minardi Formula One car in Italy. This was a big step for him. In 2005, he competed in the World Series by Renault, winning two races and getting four podiums. He also raced for A1 Team Australia in the 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix season, helping Australia finish second in one race.
Champ Car Success
.jpg)
In late 2005, Power joined the Champ Car series with Team Australia. He signed a multi-year contract to race for them. In 2006, he had a strong season, finishing in the top ten nine times. He earned his first Champ Car podium finish in Mexico. He also won the "rookie of the year" award and finished sixth in the championship.
In 2006, he got his first pole position in Champ Car at his home race in Surfers Paradise, Australia. On April 8, 2007, Power won his first Champ Car race at the Vegas Grand Prix in Las Vegas. He started from pole position and led most of the race. This made him the first Australian driver to win in the series.
On July 8, 2007, he won again at the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto. It was raining heavily, but Power drove aggressively. He moved from fourth to first place in just 14 laps, taking the lead with 23 minutes left. He passed top drivers like Sébastien Bourdais to win easily. Power finished fourth in the 2007 Champ Car standings.
IndyCar Journey
Joining IndyCar
In 2008, Champ Car merged with the IRL. Will Power joined KV Racing Technology. He won the final Champ Car race at Long Beach, which also counted as his first IndyCar Series win.
In 2009, Power joined Team Penske. He filled in for another driver and showed great skill. He earned a pole position at Long Beach and finished second. He also placed fifth in the Indianapolis 500. Power then won his first official IndyCar race at the Rexall Edmonton Indy. His season ended early due to an injury from a crash during practice.
Championship Contender
.jpg)
In 2010, Power joined Team Penske full-time. He started the season strong, winning the first two races in Brazil and St. Petersburg. He won five races that year, all on road courses, and earned a record eight pole positions. He won the Mario Andretti Road Course Championship.
The 2011 season saw Power win six races, including events at Barber Motorsports Park and Baltimore. He had some tough moments, including a crash at Toronto and a controversial incident at New Hampshire. His season ended in a large crash at the final race in Las Vegas, which also sadly took the life of another driver. Power suffered a back injury but recovered.
In 2012, Power continued to be a top contender. He won three races in a row at Barber, Long Beach, and São Paulo. He led the championship for much of the season. However, a crash in the final race in Fontana meant he finished second in the standings for the third year in a row. He still won the Mario Andretti Trophy for road course racing.
First IndyCar Championship
The 2013 season started slowly for Power, with some crashes and mechanical issues. However, he turned things around later in the year. He won his first race of 2013 at Sonoma. He then dominated and won a race in Houston. Power finished the season strong by winning the final race in Fontana. He ended the year in fourth place in the points.
In 2014, Power won the season-opening race in St. Petersburg. He also won the first race in Detroit. At the final race in Fontana, Power finished ninth, which was enough to win his first IndyCar Championship. He was very emotional on the podium, celebrating his big win.
Continued Success
The 2015 season was challenging for Power, but he still finished third in the championship. He showed great speed, especially in qualifying, taking pole position at Sonoma. He came very close to winning the 2015 Indianapolis 500, finishing second. Over the years, Power has become much stronger on oval tracks, which helped him win his first championship.
In 2016, Power missed the first race due to a health issue, but he bounced back to finish second in the championship. He won four races that year, including at Road America and Toronto. In 2017, he won three races and earned five pole positions, finishing fifth in the standings.
Indianapolis 500 Winner and Second Championship
Will Power became a championship contender again in 2018. He won the IndyCar Grand Prix at Indianapolis, which was Team Penske's 200th win in the series. On May 27, 2018, Power won the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500, a dream come true for any IndyCar driver. He also won at Gateway. He was in the championship fight until a late accident at Portland.
In 2019, Power continued his winning streak, taking victories at Pocono Raceway and the Grand Prix of Portland. This extended his record of winning at least one race every season in IndyCar to ten years. He kept this streak going in 2020, winning two races and earning five pole positions.
_(cropped).jpg)
The 2021 season was tough for Power and Team Penske. He struggled with his car and had a very low starting position for the Indianapolis 500. He also had a frustrating race in Detroit where his car's computer overheated, costing him a win. However, he broke a long winless streak by winning at the IMS Road Course. He also earned a pole position at Gateway, getting closer to the all-time pole record.
The 2022 season was a huge comeback for Power. He consistently finished in the top five in early races. He won his only race of the season at the final Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle. He earned five pole positions, breaking Mario Andretti's record for the most poles in IndyCar history. Power entered the final race with a lead and successfully clinched his second IndyCar Series championship, winning the Astor Cup.
The 2023 season was more difficult for Power, as he did not win any races, ending his long streak of consecutive winning seasons. However, he still achieved three podium finishes.
Recent Seasons
The 2024 season was much stronger for Will Power. He had three second-place finishes early in the year. After the Indianapolis 500, he picked up three wins: at Road America, Iowa (his first oval win since 2019), and Portland. He was a main challenger for the championship but finished fourth in the standings.
In the 2025 Indianapolis 500, Power faced a challenge during qualifying. His car was found to have an illegal part, leading to him starting the race from the very back of the field. He finished 16th in the race.
Personal Life
Will Power is married to Liz Cannon, whom he met when she worked for a racing team. They have a son, born in December 2016. In his free time, Power enjoys playing the drums and often performs at charity events for IndyCar.
Images for kids
-
Power at the 2021 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
-
Power testing for what would be the final season of Champ Car in 2007.
-
Power during practice for the 2008 Indianapolis 500.
-
Power at the São Paulo Indy 300 in 2010
-
Power qualifying for the 2011 Indy Japan 300.
-
Will Power prepares to practice for the inaugural IndyCar race on the Indianapolis road course.
-
Power won the Verizon P1 Award for taking the pole at the 2015 GoPro Grand Prix.
-
Power at Road America in 2018
-
Power during the 2023 Indianapolis 500
-
Power at Mid-Ohio in 2024
See also
In Spanish: Will Power para niños
