Power scores big statement Portland win; Palou clinches fourth IndyCar title

PORTLAND, Ore. — Once again, Portland International Raceway proved why it is one of the most unpredictable stops on the NTT IndyCar Series calendar, as Team Penske’s Will Power claimed the first win of the 2025 season for the Captain’s organization in the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland.

The driver of the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet held off a late-race charge from Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, who clinched his fourth IndyCar title after Pato O’Ward was eliminated from contention due to a wire connected to the DI box malfunctioning. 

At the moment, Power does not have a seat for 2026, and his third victory at Portland, the 45th win of his IndyCar career, proved that the 44-year-old Australian has not lost a step despite his uncertain future with Team Penske.

“I think it’s just a big win for all the team, man,” Power said. “I mean, we’ve had a rough year, and it’s not really because we’ve been off the pace. It’s just been unfortunate circumstances. I’ve had two engine failures and a tire failure. It’s a good, hard-fought win. 

“It kind of split that strategy at the beginning. We picked a strategy to run hard, pull enough of a gap and it was a bit dicey at the end there. Yeah man, just stoked. I’ve had a great career with Verizon and Penske, so I really, really enjoy winning for the guys and everyone I’ve worked with for a long time.”

With championship hopes hanging in the balance, Portland delivered high-stakes strategy, speed and survival as teams battled through tight corners, which saw Palou mathematically lock up his fourth championship in the last five years. 

“Today was a great day,” Palou said. “P3 in the race and winning the championship, it was amazing. We started on primary tires today, and with how the yellows fell and how many laps we had to do to open the gap, and then we came out in traffic, we couldn’t really fight for the win until the end. We had to make like 20 seconds up – and it’s true that the traffic helped us there. The same it hurt us earlier, it helped us at the end. 

“It was a bit of a shame we couldn’t fight even harder, I tried everything to fight for P2. We had the speed we needed, but he was able to protect with the Push to Pass. We gave everything to try and win, and it wasn’t our day for that. But it was our day for the championship and I’m so proud of everyone on this team.”

As fans packed into the Pacific Northwest’s racing hub, the energy was palpable. For many, this race was not just a scenic stop on the tour; this proved to be a make-or-break showdown that would ultimately crown a champion in a historic season.

Portland International Raceway: A Tactical Battlefield

Nestled in the heart of Portland, PIR’s deceptively simple 1.964-mile, 12-turn layout has long been known for delivering dramatic twists. Its flat surface and tight chicanes demand absolute precision, turning every pit stop into a potential race-deciding moment.

Over the years, PIR has hosted some of IndyCar’s most iconic moments, from Michael Andretti’s aggressive move in 1991 to the infamous pile-up in 2018. In 2025, the track lived up to its legacy yet again.

This year’s race threw up some unexpected challenges as drivers and teams battled the heat and each other for the win. Temperatures on track reached over 100 degrees, and drivers struggled to keep their cars and emotions cool.  

Championship Pressure

Entering the weekend, all eyes were on championship leader Alex Palou, looking to extend his points lead to potentially clinch his fourth title, and Pato O’Ward, who was relentlessly chipping away at Palou’s lead after five straight top-five finishes before Portland.

With just two races left in the season, the Grand Prix of Portland was more than just a race; it was a pressure cooker. With Palou needing to outscore O’Ward by 14 points to clinch the championship, O’Ward hoped to keep the title fight alive for at least one more race. 

The 26-year-old Mexican driver was the only driver left who had the potential to beat Palou mathematically and this weekend’s race was critical in his long-shot run toward claiming the Astor Cup. Sadly, those hopes ended with an issue out of control taking him out of contention after starting on the pole.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t make things a bit more interesting, but credit to Alex for an unbelievable season,” O’Ward said. “I thought we had the car to challenge for the win today, so it’s just a bummer that we ran into that issue. But now, we want to win more races and secure second in the championship.”

Tempers Flare

After the green flag dropped, chaos ensued. It all started with a shunt on the exit of Turn 12 from AJ Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci, followed by a massive crash for Conor Daly on Lap 15 after colliding with Christian Rasmussen.

The on-track feud began when Daly tried to overtake Rasmussen on the outside in Turn 7, then both drivers made contact and went off track. Then, Daly seemingly chased Rasmussen down, hopping the curb in the Shelton Chicane and making contact again with the driver of the No. 21 Liquid Science Chevrolet.

The final contact between the two drivers occurred in Turn 11 when Daly got alongside Rasmussen, then Daly was sent spinning off track at a high rate of speed and slammed hard into the tire barriers. Race control decided to take no action.

However, race control acted on Scott Dixon, who received a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact after spinning Josef Newgarden in the Shelton Chicane. 

“I had an incident with Conor (Daly), which put us back in the field and we were in recovery mode from there,” Rasmussen said. “Through strategy and decent pace on the red tire, we fought our way back up to 12th. I am happy with that and I am really looking forward to a couple of ovals to finish the season out.”

On the other side of the equation, Daly was not impressed with Rasmussen’s on-track behavior and accused him of intentionally wrecking him.

The Final Stint, Last-Minute Surprises

As the race entered its final stint, it became an unexpected, classic three-way battle for the win. Alex Palou struggled to gain ground after running off track in the final few laps while attempting to pass Christian Lundgaard to have a shot at race leader Will Power.

In the end, Power’s cool-headed approach and impeccable fuel management earned him the checkered flag, his first victory of the 2025 season, with Lundgaard crossing just 1.5 seconds behind in second place. Palou completed the podium in third, taking home his fourth Astor Cup.

Palou’s team owner, Chip Ganassi, praised his star driver after collecting the organization’s 17th IndyCar championship.

“I’ve never seen a guy work so quietly and diligently at his craft as this guy,” Ganassi said. “I said in the beginning of the year that we’re just scratching the surface of his talent. I still think he’s got more in his gas tank, his tank, for this season, and he’s got more in his tank for coming seasons. 

“You saw his desire in what he spoke about prior to the Indianapolis 500, going into that race, what the goals were, what the goals were when we left that place. Even though we had the win, he didn’t lose sight of the big picture, for the championship. I couldn’t be more pleased.”

With the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series championship officially wrapped up at Portland, the final two races of the season on ovals at Milwaukee and Nashville are sure to be exciting, as drivers who have nothing to lose, including those on the hunt for future jobs, should keep everyone entertained. 

GRID Ranking

The 2025 GRID Ranking is the ninth year of the world’s premier motorsports ranking system and was initially released on Sunday, April 6.

The official ranking includes drivers participating in seven racing series (NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1, Formula E, WRC, Supercars, MotoGP). Each driver earns GRID Ratings, which help determine their seeding in the GRID Ranking.

GRID Ranking Week 19 IndyCar drivers:

DRIVER	OLD RATING	PREVIOUS RANKING	MOST RECENT FINISH	NEW RATING	NEW RANKING
Alex Palou	22.06	1st	3rd	21.74	1st
Pato O’Ward	14.66	8th	25th	13.68	8th
Christian Lundgaard	9.18	28th	2nd	10.08	23rd
Scott Dixon	10.72	19th	11th	10.01	25th
Kyle Kirkwood	10.34	23rd	20th	9.65	27th

The NTT IndyCar Series returns to action on Sunday, Aug. 24, for the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 at the Milwaukee Mile short-oval track. Coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET on FOX.

Results: 2025 BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway