Will Power says 19th-fastest speed won't stop Indy 500 win
Will Power says will power can still win the Indianapolis 500 from his starting spot after qualifying 19th fastest, and he is not backing away from that view. He believes strategy, cautions and changing conditions can still put Andretti at the front when the race ends.
Power keeps the race wide open
Power said he was “definitely looking forward to the race” and added, “Marcus and I also have good cars. Yeah, confident that we can be right out in front at the end of this race.” That confidence came after he and Andretti stablemate Marcus Ericsson rolled out from 10th and 13th respectively before posting the 19th and 17th fastest speeds.
He tied that outlook to the way the Indianapolis 500 tends to unfold. “If it’s a hot day, I think you can start anywhere,” he said. Power also pointed to the timing of yellow flags and the value of strategy changes, saying drivers starting deeper in the field are more willing to take risks or go off strategy.
Ericsson and Kirkwood in the mix
Power’s case is not built on optimism alone. Marcus Ericsson said Andretti has three cars capable of fighting through the field despite the relatively sluggish qualifying showing, and he said he had high confidence in the team after good practice last week. Kyle Kirkwood also comes into the race from a difficult spot, qualifying 25th after running 23rd in the order.
Power singled Kirkwood out as the benchmark in practice. “Just watch Kyle. He’s obviously been the strongest guy out there in practice, just watching him chop through the field.” That leaves Andretti with three drivers talking openly about passing traffic rather than protecting track position before the green flag.
Race-day weather and strategy
Early forecasts for race day called for mostly sunny conditions with a chance of a storm in the afternoon. Temperatures were expected to hover around 20 degrees celsius, about 10 degrees cooler than qualifying, which adds another variable to a field already expecting a long, unsettled run.
Power said he has seen enough Indianapolis 500 races to trust the chaos that can come later. “I’ve just been around so long, you just cannot predict how this is going to play out. You can’t predict when a yellow may fall,” he said. He added, “There are a lot of people making mistakes, people have bad cars, and long stints, all of these things just come into play.”
For Power, the starting spot is a hurdle, not a verdict. “Yes, I don’t think it matters where you start. You absolutely could start last and end up in the front.”
