Will Power Bio
William Steven Power (born 1 March 1981) is an Australian racing driver who competes in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 26 Dallara-Honda for Andretti Global. Power is one of the most decorated drivers in American open-wheel history, holding two IndyCar Series championships (2014 and 2022) and the 2018 Indianapolis 500 victory on his resume. He is widely regarded as one of the best qualifiers the series has ever seen, with an all-time record number of pole positions to his name. Power continues to add to a career defined by consistency, road-course speed, and the ability to deliver on the biggest stages.
Early Life and Background
Power was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, the son of open-wheel racer Bob Power. Growing up around his father’s racing activities, he developed an early passion for the sport and began his driving career at Morgan Park Raceway in Warwick and at Carnel Raceway in Stanthorpe, behind the wheel of a Datsun 1200. Those early laps on small Australian circuits laid the foundation for what would become a long and successful career in motorsports.
Power’s family remained central to his progression through the junior ranks. He began his formal car racing career in 1999 in the Queensland Formula Ford Championship, driving an aging family-owned Swift SC92F. With his parents supporting a small, family-oriented team, Power gradually built experience before stepping into national-level competition.
Path to NASCAR
This section is not applicable. Will Power is an IndyCar and open-wheel racing driver who has not competed in NASCAR national series events. His professional career has been built entirely in formula-style and Indy car racing, both in Australia and in North America.
Will Power Career
Early Career (1999-2004)
Power won the 2000 Queensland Formula Ford Championship before moving to the Australian Formula Ford Championship, where he finished seventh. He continued to develop with a family team, switching to a Stealth RF95, and later moved into Formula Holden. In 2002, Power dominated the Australian Drivers’ Championship, winning the title by more than 50 points with seven victories and three pole positions.
That same year, he also raced in the Australian Formula 3 Championship with Cooltemp Racing, narrowly missing the title. Power then headed to Europe, joining the British Formula 3 Championship in 2003, first with Diamond Racing and then Fortec Motorsport, before running a full 2004 campaign with Alan Docking Racing that yielded five podium finishes and a ninth-place ranking. He also tested a Minardi Formula One car in 2004 at Italy.
Champ Car and Early IndyCar Years (2005-2008)
During 2005, Power competed in the World Series by Renault for Carlin Motorsport, scoring two wins and four podiums, and represented Australia in the A1 Grand Prix series. He also made his Champ Car debut at Surfers Paradise with Team Australia, signing a multi-year contract after the event. In 2006, Power ran a full Champ Car season, claimed Rookie of the Year honors, and earned his first Champ Car pole at Surfers Paradise.
On 8 April 2007, Power won his first Champ Car race at the inaugural Vegas Grand Prix, becoming the first Australian to win in the series. He added a dramatic wet-weather victory at Toronto and finished fourth in the final 2007 standings. Following the 2008 merger of Champ Car and IndyCar, Power joined KV Racing Technology and won the final Champ Car race at Long Beach, a victory that also counted as his first IndyCar Series win.
Team Penske Era (2009-2025)
Power joined Team Penske in 2009, initially as a part-time replacement for Helio Castroneves. He earned his first IndyCar victory at Edmonton and impressed with multiple poles. From 2010 onward, he became a full-time Penske driver, opening the 2010 season with back-to-back wins at Brazil and St. Petersburg. He went on to claim five wins and a record eight poles, taking the inaugural Mario Andretti Road Course Championship trophy.
Power added six more wins in 2011, but a violent 15-car crash at Las Vegas ended his title hopes and left him with a vertebral compression fracture. He finished as championship runner-up in both 2010 and 2012, and again in 2013, before finally claiming his first IndyCar Series championship in 2014, winning the finale at Fontana. He added a second title in 2022 at Laguna Seca, the same year he broke Mario Andretti’s all-time pole record. Power also won the 2018 Indianapolis 500 and recorded victories across ovals, road courses, and street circuits throughout his Penske tenure. In 2025, his final year with Team Penske, he won at Portland and finished ninth in points before the team announced his departure after 17 seasons.
Driving Style and Strengths
Power is widely recognized as one of the strongest road and street course drivers of his generation, combining precise qualifying pace with smooth, calculated race craft. His ability to extract one-lap speed has produced more pole positions than any driver in IndyCar history, while his race-day intelligence and tire management have made him a perennial contender on technical circuits. Ovals were once viewed as a weakness, but Power steadily developed that side of his game, adding key oval wins to complement his road-course dominance.
Notable Races and Milestones
Power’s signature achievements include the 2018 Indianapolis 500 victory, his 2014 and 2022 IndyCar Series championships, his record-breaking pole totals, and memorable wet-weather wins at Toronto and Edmonton. He has also celebrated wins at marquee venues such as Long Beach, St. Petersburg, Road America, and Portland, cementing his reputation as a clutch performer on race day.
Will Power Career Wins
Will Power has compiled one of the most extensive win records in IndyCar history, with multiple championships, an Indianapolis 500 victory, and a pole-position record that may never be matched. His success spans road courses, street circuits, and ovals across more than two decades of top-level open-wheel racing.
IndyCar Series Highlights
Power is a two-time IndyCar Series champion (2014 and 2022) and the 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner. He has won at iconic tracks including Long Beach, St. Petersburg, Barber Motorsports Park, Road America, Toronto, Edmonton, Texas, Pocono, Detroit, Gateway, and Portland. His pole-position total is the highest in series history, surpassing the long-standing mark held by Mario Andretti.
Other Wins and Performances
Before reaching IndyCar, Power won the 2000 Queensland Formula Ford Championship, the 2002 Australian Drivers’ Championship in Formula Holden, and earned victories in the World Series by Renault with Carlin Motorsport. In Champ Car, he recorded two career wins, including the historic 2007 Vegas Grand Prix, and added six poles during his time in the series.
Will Power Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Power is the son of Bob Power, an open-wheel racer whose own career introduced Will to the sport from a young age. His brother, Damien Power, is a stand-up comedian. The family played a central role in supporting Will’s early racing efforts, with his parents helping run a small team during his Formula Ford and Formula Holden years in Australia.
Personal Life
Power married Liz Cannon in 2010. The two met during Power’s CART days when Liz joined Walker Racing as a receptionist and later worked in public relations for the team. Their son was born in December 2016. In 2019, Power became an American citizen, adding to his Australian roots. Outside of racing, Power plays the drums and has performed at charity events organized by IndyCar.
2025 Season Performance
Power’s 2025 campaign marked his seventeenth and final season with Team Penske. He opened the year with a 26th-place DNF at St. Petersburg, then earned a podium at the Indy Grand Prix. The 2025 Indianapolis 500 proved eventful, as Power and teammate Josef Newgarden were sent to the back of the field for illegal modified attenuators found during fast-12 qualifying, leading to team suspensions and a $100,000 fine. Power ultimately finished the race in sixteenth place after post-race penalties to other competitors.
He rebounded later in the season with a podium at Iowa and a victory at Portland, his first win since leaving Penske was already announced. He closed the year with a 21st-place result at Nashville, finishing ninth in the final standings. Shortly after, Team Penske confirmed Power’s departure after 17 years, and Andretti Global announced the following day that he would join the team for 2026, replacing the departing Colton Herta.
