Will Power won the IndyCar race at Alabama for the second straight year, taking the lead on a late caution on Sunday and pulling back in front of Scott Dixon on the double-file restart with 16 laps to go.

Two days earlier the Australian had predicted it would be tough for anybody opening outside the top four to win on a course that typically features infrequent passing.

How wrong he was.

Power showed it could be done by starting in ninth spot and making up ground with the help of tyre strategy and swift work on pit road.

He started on the faster alternate red-striped tyres instead of the more durable black.

“We started on black tyres when everybody started on red, and then went to red when everyone was on black,” Power said.

“That got us a couple of spots. And then just good stops and good strategy calls put me out in clean air so we could use our speed to make some passes.

“It was a very good team effort, an absolute team effort to put ourselves in position to win, which I did not think was possible this morning.”

The result means Power (77 points) is third on the standings and within striking distance of series leader Helio Castroneves (86) and Dixon (84).

It was the second straight win for Chevrolet and Team Penske.

Power and Dixon pulled away from the field for a 1-2 finish, just like a year ago.

St. Petersburg winner and pole-sitter Castroneves of Penske edged Graham Rahal for third.

Power had his fast qualifying time in the second session negated because a caution came down during his run.

It forced him out of his more familiar front-runner status at Barber Motorsports Park, where he had held the pole the past two years.

But Power still managed to work his way toward the front, moving into the top five by passing Tony Kanaan on the hairpin fifth turn – where he managed several passes – a third of the way through.

Power consistently had the fastest car in practice and qualifying prior to his caution.

It was a nice rebound from a St. Petersburg performance he called “the worst race of my life.”

But it was another tantalisingly close call for Dixon, second in the season’s first two races.

Dixon couldn’t muster much of a challenge in the final laps, finishing 3.37 seconds behind.

“I think we had the car to beat,” Dixon said.

“We had the speed and for the most part the right strategy, but it just wasn’t our day.”

Formula One veteran Rubens Barrichello had a strong performance in his second IndyCar race, finishing eighth.

Defending series champion Dario Franchitti moved up eight spots after a rough qualifying session and was 10th, still a slow start by the standards of Dixon’s Target Chip Ganassi teammate.