When the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season resumes at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., Verizon Team Penske driver Will Power will attempt to do what no IZOD IndyCar Series driver has ever done.
Power could become the first driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series era of open-wheel racing to win the first three races of a season should he prevail in the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by Legacy Credit Union. And his chances for another victory are strong - he led Open Testing at the 2.38-mile road course in February.
“That’s a fantastic start,” the Australian said. “I don’t think you could ask for much better. I don’t think there is anything better than winning. I’m very happy for the Verizon guys, working hard over the winter. And this is my first full season on a good team, so I’m just putting it all together and using my experience over the past four years over here.”
Sam Hornish Jr. (2001) and Power are the only drivers to win the first two races of a season. Should he win at Barber, Power, who has won at Long Beach in Champ Car, could take a record-breaking four-race win streak to the first oval race May 1 at Kansas Speedway.
Regardless, Power will leave Barber with the points lead regardless of where he finishes. He is 44 points ahead of his nearest challenger (a three-way tie between Justin Wilson, Ryan Hunter-Reay and defending series champion Dario Franchitti) and the most points any driver can gain each race is 43.
Still, his focus remains on taking the remaining 15 events one at a time.
“To win a championship, (you can’t) win two races and then have a heap of bad ones,” he said. “You’ve got to win as much as you can. You’ve got to go into every race thinking, ‘OK, I’ve got to win.’ But if you can’t, you have to make the most of it. That’s my thinking.”
Chasing history:
Will Power can become the first driver in IZOD IndyCar Series history to win the first three races to start a season if he wins the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by Legacy Credit Union. Here are other drivers in post-World War II Indy car history to have accomplished that feat:
Sebastien Bourdais - First four races of 2006 Champ Car season (Long Beach, Houston, Monterrey, Milwaukee)
Paul Tracy - First three races of the 2003 CART season (St. Petersburg, Monterrey, Long Beach)
Al Unser - First three races of 1971 USAC season (Rafaela Argentina-race 1 and race 2, Phoenix)
A.J. Foyt - First seven races of 1964 USAC season (Phoenix, Trenton-April, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Langhorne, Trenton-July, Springfield)
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