The Team Penske driver featured in several incidents, the first of which caused damage to Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist.
Power put a pass on the Swede at the end of Lakeshore Boulevard into Turn 3, which damaged the front wing of the #60 car.
The second incident brought out the Safety Car on Lap 14 at Turn 5.
Power tangled with Ed Carpenter Racing driver Christian Rasmussen in the #21, who slid into the outside wall before clipping the Australian’s right rear wheel.
Power and Rasmussen had been fighting over 20th and 21st after the Lap 3 caution for Scott McLaughlin brought those on the soft compound tyre to the pits earlier.
The #12 was forced to pit under yellow on Lap 16 for a new set of tyres after puncturing the right rear.
Secure your spot today.
Christian Rasmussen spins after contact. The yellow is out. pic.twitter.com/dfOP8Fkrvt
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) July 20, 2025
Power fought his way back into the competition and was fighting over fifth place on Lap 43 of the 90-lapper when he made wheel-to-wheel contact with O’Ward.
That shot him out towards the concrete wall where he parked momentarily.
Power plummeted down the order to 20th and made something of a recovery to finish 11th.
It was a case of what could have been for Power given O’Ward went on to win the race and was fighting amongst the pack of podium finishers.
“Yeah, we were in a good position there with our strategy, running with the guys that finished on the podium,” said Power.
Pato O’Ward 🆚 Will Power
Contact on the restart between the two drivers, and the No. 5 is now up to P2 on Lap 52. pic.twitter.com/48sGqzHn7z
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) July 20, 2025
“To be in that position after how our race started and having to come in for a tyre going down was pretty remarkable.
“It was a rough race, for sure, and the contact I had on the backstretch was unnecessary, I thought.
“What a year. It will turn around. This Verizon Chevy team is still working very hard.”
O’Ward said it was an unfortunate clash, but was thankful it did not end Power’s day early.
“I knew that was going to be a racing incident,” O’Ward explained.
“I want to go see Will actually. That’s the last thing that you want to have. I respect Will so much. We’ve been racing against each other a lot.
“But yeah, the problem is that it’s such a fine line that you’re battling with. You don’t want to lose any positions.
“When you’re going through where you’re full opposite lock, we basically hit square. When you hit tire to tire, both of our wheels got out of our hands. You had to, like, gather it back up.
“That’s what happens when you’re racing so tight in a place like this. The cars don’t really do everything perfectly.
“They will be moving and they’ll understeer, they will be within places where you’re like, Oh, I hope I make this kind of thing.
“I think when you go to the outside, that’s a risk that you’re willing to take versus the guy that’s on the inside.
“Obviously that’s not the way that I like to go racing. I like to be always fair and give the respect that each one deserves.
“Yeah, it got tight, really tight, in a corner that’s pretty much what you get if you go side by side.”
All three Team Penske drivers are winless in 2025. The team is at risk of repeating its 1999 CART woes, which was the last time they went all year without a win.
Discussion about this post