Will Power Wins Verizon 6th P1 Award at Sonoma Raceway
SONOMA, Calif. (Aug. 29, 2015) – Verizon IndyCar Series champion Will Power took his sixth pole start of the season and 42nd of his career, which is fifth on the all-time Indy car list.
Driving the No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, this is the fourth track record broken by Power this season and the sixth track record broken in 2015 following the introduction of aero kits by Chevrolet and Honda.
Three rounds of qualifications set the 25-car grid for the 85-lap race Aug. 30 (1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET on NBCSN) that carries double base points along with bonus points for the pole (one point), leading a lap (one) and leading the most laps (two).
“I’m really stoked. I love qualifying and (am) very happy to end the year with a pole position,” said Power, a three-time winner at Sonoma Raceway who has started from the pole five times in the past six years for this race. “Lots of points on the table; we’ll go for that win.”
Juan Pablo Montoya, in the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, has stood atop the standings since winning the season opener March 29 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., and holds a 34-point lead over Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Montoya’s most direct path to his second Indy car title – separated by 16 years – is to finish first or second. The other contenders’ script also is clear.
“Win. That’s the best-case scenario,” said Rahal, who advanced to the Firestone Fast Six qualifying format used on all Verizon IndyCar Series road and street courses for the first time since Twin Ring Motegi in 2011. “We finish third, fourth, fifth (in the race), it becomes obviously a bit more difficult because you’re banking on Juan finishing 12th or worse. I don’t think that’s likely.”