PALM SPRINGS, Calif. –– Will Power only won one race last season, but had eight podium finishes en route to clinching the NTT IndyCar Series championship last season.
Five of those podium finishes came in the last seven races which helped him storm to the lead and overtake Scott Dixon and Penske teammate Josef Newgarden down the stretch in the championship standings.
With the IndyCar field expanding to 27 full-time entries for the upcoming season in 2023, Power said despite more talent coming into the series is as confident as ever about his chances to compete for another title.
“The confidence, I just think the older you get, the more comfortable you are with the situation,” Power said. “You just naturally gain confidence. You know your strengths. You know your weaknesses. I would say I don’t have much pressure at this time in my career, so it’s all about the craft and getting the most out of it.”
Though a season championship is always at the forefront, Power says he is not as focused on winning another one.
“Honestly, I haven’t even thought about the championship,” he said. “I haven’t even — I almost had to be reminded that I won the championship. Kind of just, I did it, and I know it’s just that I’m older now and moving on quickly and thinking about what’s next.”
Power believes that his goals are becoming more refined. For example, he has yet to start on pole at the Indianapolis 500.
“Yeah, that’s one that’s eluded me for along time,” said Power. “I’ve had times that I’ve had the car to do it and then just sort of overshot or undershot in some way of trimming or it just hasn’t worked out or the wind. It’s a tough one because it’s often out of your hands. It really depends on the car you have that year.”
Power is among the drivers testing at the Thermal Club in Palm Springs, California this week. It’s the only scheduled testing session ahead of the season opener at St. Petersburg in just over a month.
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Power More Confident With Age Coming Off Championship Season was originally published on wibc.com
