It’s a different rival but an all too familiar scenario for Will Power as he faces a nerve-jangling fight for the IndyCar series title in the final event for a third straight year.
Runner-up the last two years to Scotland’s Dario Franchitti, series leader Power faces a huge challenge from in-form American Ryan Hunter-Reay as he bids to make history as the first Australian driver to win the championship.
Hunter-Reay eclipsed Power’s tally of three wins this season as he claimed his fourth victory at the Grand Prix of Baltimore on Sunday, narrowing the points gap to Power to 17 – 453 against 436 – heading into the season finale at Fontana in California on September 15.
The American triumphed for his Andretti Autosports team in a rain-affected race on a temporary street circuit where tyre strategy was crucial while Team Penske’s Power had to settle for a sixth placing.
But Power vowed to fight tooth and nail for the title.
“It never comes easy,” said Power, who got the three bonus points for earning the pole and leading the most laps (22).
“We just have to do our best and fight like a dog till the end. We’ll come out swinging.”
Making matters worse for Power – who has led the 15-race championship virtually from the outset, winning three of the first four races – the final race is on a oval track.
He has a far superior overall IndyCar driving record to fellow 31-year-old Hunter Reay – 16 wins and 21 poles in five season to the American’s seven wins and one pole in six seasons – but he has won only once on an oval while Hunter-Reay has four oval wins, including two this year (Milwaukee and Iowa).
Power led Franchitti by 11 points entering last year’s finale and started the race on the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway oval from the pole but finished 19th and, combined with Franchitti’s runner-up finish, wound up 18 points back.
Hunter-Reay crossed the Baltimore finish line to win by 1.4 seconds from Power’s countryman Ryan Briscoe.
“I can’t describe how nerve-racking that is when it rains on a street circuit and you’re on slicks and you know the championship is on the line,” Hunter-Reay said.
“We still have a shot. We all want it bad enough, we can go get this thing. The team deserves it.
“It’s a matter of if we can put it together.”