Power Triumphs at Portland; Palou Clinches 2025 IndyCar Championship
PORTLAND, Oregon — Will Power of Team Penske secured a commanding victory in the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, breaking a season-long winless streak for his team and denying their rivals a 15-race winning streak. Meanwhile, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou clinched the 2025 IndyCar Series championship, marking his fourth title since 2021, with two races still remaining.
In the 110-lap race, Power asserted his dominance early on, maintaining a significant lead despite a late challenge from Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard and Palou, who both cut the gap to less than a second. Ultimately, Power finished with a 1.5-second lead over Lundgaard, who claimed second, and 2.4 seconds ahead of Palou, who fought fiercely for positioning before settling into third place.
Power’s victory was characterized by strategic driving and composure under pressure, resulting in a noteworthy comeback for the team. "It’s just nice to win,” Power commented. “The guys, the whole team… have all put in a great effort this year after being stomped down a few times.”
Graham Rahal had his best performance of the season, finishing fourth in the No. 15 Honda, while Alexander Rossi and Callum Ilott rounded out the top six, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively. Power’s teammate Scott McLaughlin completed the top seven, finishing 26.9 seconds off the winner.
The race saw an incident involving Christian Rasmussen and Conor Daly, who made contact multiple times, culminating in a crash that sidelined Daly. Despite the severity, IndyCar race control opted not to take action, reportedly due to the series’ avoidable contact rule, which places the onus on the overtaking driver.
In addition to Palou’s individual championship, Honda secured the Manufacturers’ championship title.
Final Results:
- Will Power (Team Penske)
- Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren)
- Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing)
- Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing)
- Alexander Rossi (Ed Carpenter Racing)
- Callum Ilott (PREMA Racing)
- Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske)
With the championship decided and the competitive tensions rising, the final two races promise to be highly contested as teams prepare for the 2026 season.
