Will Power extended his streak of consecutive IndyCar Series seasons to 13 with a victory by capturing the rain-shortened race at Pocono Raceway.
The Team Penske star was in the lead on lap 128 of 200 before severe weather ended the race under red-flag conditions and gave him his first win of 2019 and third in four years at the “Tricky Triangle” circuit.
Australian Power, the 2014 series champion, raced to his 36th career victory and is fifth on the drivers’ standings.
“Was very determined to win this race for the team … We were able to overcome some issues, had some great stops, and the strategy was right. I’m over the moon to get this win!” he tweeted.
Black clouds formed over the track in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, just past the halfway point and the race was ended because of lightning.
Not long after Power had his win, it started raining heavily and he was ushered to the media centre for a makeshift podium celebration – along with championship contenders Scott Dixon, second, and Simon Pagenaud, third.
Josef Newgarden, the series leader, finished fifth.
Power was in the right position to a win a race marred by a crash that collected five drivers on the first lap and sent Chip Ganassi Racing driver Felix Rosenqvist to the hospital.
Justin Wilson died in 2015 from a head injury after being struck by debris from another car.
Robert Wickens was paralysed rom the waist down in an early-lap accident last year after his car shot into a fence.
The green flag had barely been dropped when 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato used an aggressive move to trigger a wreck that sent Rosenqvist to the hospital.
Sato tried to shoot a gap on the first lap, cut off Rossi and connected with Ryan Hunter-Reay in crash that left cars and debris strewn across the track.
Sato’s car landed upside down on Hunter-Reay’s Honda.
“I can’t even begin to understand how after last year Takuma thinks that’s acceptable,” Rossi said. “It’s disgraceful.”
Rosenqvist hit the fence nose first and his car slammed back on the track. Rosenqvist did not suffer life-threatening injuries and was cleared.
IndyCar and Pocono do not have a deal for a 2020 race.
The IndyCar Series continues on Saturday with the third-to-last round in Madison, IIllinois.
