Power takes Honda Indy Toronto for 2nd win in row

[July 19, 2010]  TORONTO (AP) -- Will Power is long on street smarts.

The 29-year-old Australian, named after his motorcycle racing great-grandfather, knew when to be aggressive and when to play it safe Sunday in the Honda Indy Toronto.

After patiently avoiding early trouble in the wreck-filled race, the IndyCar leader passed Justin Wilson on the outside off a restart with 14 laps left, then held off Dario Franchitti for his second straight victory and fourth of the season.

"As I predicted, it was a very wild race," Power said. "It started on the first corner for me when I had Helio (Castroneves) and (Ryan) Hunter-Reay come cruising up the inside. I was like, `OK, I'll let those guys go.' And then I lost a couple of more positions. But I know how this race goes.

"The key for me when I came to this race was avoiding carnage and accidents, which I know happens every year, and like I said, in the first corner, that right there could have been the finish if I'd just turned in. But I backed off."

Power then gambled and won with the race on the line, moving past Wilson on the outside on the first turn after the fifth of sixth caution periods. Power pulled away, while Wilson spun out a few turns later and dropped from contention.

"The tires got a lot of pickup (rubber from other tires) and were cold. I knew everyone was going to be struggling and that there'd be a lot more chances of people making mistakes," Power said. "And that's what he (Wilson) did on the restart.

"I'd say it was a calculated, but risky, move to pass him on the outside because I wasn't sure I'd make it out the other side. It was close, but sometimes you have to do that in racing if you want to win."

All eight of Power's career victories -- three in the defunct Champ Car circuit and five in IndyCar -- have come on street or road courses. He won two weeks ago at Watkins Glen and swept the season-opening races in Sao Paulo and St. Petersburg.

"I want to win an oval race before the year's out," said Power, 42 points ahead of Franchitti. "I've been knocking on the door, so I think that may come."

Power is in his first full season with Team Penske after driving six races last year, highlighted by a victory in Edmonton. He also won the 2007 Toronto Champ Car race on the tight and bumpy, 11-turn, 1.755-mile Exhibition Place track.

"I love Canada, obviously, because I've won three races here," Power said. "I guess, I could put it down to my grandmother, who is Canadian, so I'm part-Canadian. My uncle lives here as well. He's married to a Canadian."

He gave Roger Penske his 150th open-wheel win and 41st in the IndyCar Series.

"They give me the equipment to win," Power said. "I have a full-time ride with one of the best teams in the series, so to pay them back, you've got to win. We'll always be challenging for wins every weekend and we should be. It's as simple as that."

Power finished 1.2757 seconds ahead of Franchitti, the Toronto winner last year.

Hunter-Reay was third, followed by Tony Kanaan, Graham Rahal, Danica Patrick, Wilson, Marco Andretti, Simona de Silvestro and Dan Wheldon.

"It was like a football game out there," Hunter-Reay said. "Everyone was hitting everybody else. It was nasty out there at times."

Franchitti gave up the lead to pit with 30 laps left, and Wilson and Power made their final stops a lap later. Wilson beat Power out of the pits and they both ended up ahead of Franchitti when the stops cycled through.

"I had to pit a lap early, so Justin and Will jumped ahead when they went a lap longer," Franchitti said. "We just didn't run quite quick enough. We were fast in practice, but weren't quite fast enough to beat Will."

Patrick had her best finish in the first six street and road events of the year.

"It's a great confidence booster," she said. "We were really happy with the way the car was performing throughout the whole race."

[Associated Press; By JOHN NICHOLSON]

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