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Will Power Jumps Alex Palou in Pits to Win at Iowa

Will Power used an overcut pit strategy to take the lead from Alex Palou and led the final 43 laps of the race to take the 43rd win of his NTT IndyCar Series career in Sunday’s (July 13) Hy-Vee One Step 250 at Iowa Speedway.

Power took the lead from Palou during green-flag pit stops by staying out one lap longer than the Spaniard, pitting on lap 205 versus Palou’s lap-204 stop. Track position was key all day and Power was able to defend his lead until the checkered flag, despite spending much of the race’s final stint stuck behind lapped traffic.

“Massive fuel saving!” Power told NBC regarding his winning strategy. “Just sitting in the pack. I had a really good car, a really fast car, so I just sat back and used that pace to save fuel, to get a massive number. I knew once all those guys called in, I could go hard and then we caught a yellow, because that was sort of the thing we were hoping for … and then we were able to get better fuel behind Palou and then go a couple laps longer than him and then jump him.

“I’ve been trying to win this race for years. Years! So [I’m] over the moon. The guys did a great job. I felt really bad for them yesterday when I accidentally burned off on the pit speed limiter and ruined their day … I thought coming into this season ‘I’m going to win an oval this year. I want to win an oval and I want to win multiple races.’ We just kept pushing and getting it done.”

Scott McLaughlin finished third, followed by fellow countryman Scott Dixon in fourth. Colton Herta rounded out the top five, rebounding from a frustrating race Saturday evening.

Aside from positions shuffling during pit cycles, the race was largely processional with track position being priced at a premium. This weekend was IndyCar’s first visit to Iowa since the track was partially repaved ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series’ visit in June.

Though some drivers, like Santino Ferrucci, were able to get their elbows out and run the track’s second groove to make up spots, the bottom line was clearly superior and comparatively few moves were made on the outside.

The race’s generally monotonous nature was overshadowed by a last-lap crash which sent Sting Ray Robb flipping down the backstretch while Ed Carpenter, Kyle Kirkwood and Alexander Rossi also piled up.

Aside from the last-lap melee, Agustin Canapino brought out the race’s only caution period when he spun exiting turn 2 on lap 101. Canapino had already been involved in a first-lap crash during Saturday’s race along with teammate Romain Grosjean.

See also
Sting Ray Robb Flips in Massive Last-Lap Crash at Iowa

2024 IndyCar Hy-Vee One Step 250 Results

Next up on the 2024 IndyCar calendar is the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto from the Exhibition Place street circuit in Toronto, Canada. Coverage will be exclusively on Peacock beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

Alex is the IndyCar Content Director at Frontstretch, having initially joined as an entry-level contributor in 2021. He also serves as Managing Director of The Asia Cable, a publication focused on the international affairs and politics of the Asia-Pacific region which he co-founded in 2023. With previous experience in China, Japan and Poland, Alex is particularly passionate about the international realm of motorsport and the politics that make the wheels turn - literally - behind the scenes.