Photo credit: Penske Entertainment: Chris Jones
Sometimes the racing world baffles me.
Growing up following stick-and-ball sports, I’ve always believed that pro sports are a meritocracy. The best players play.
Yes, I know that there are always politics involved. Trust me, covering minor league baseball for 15 years, I watched players with seven-figure bonuses get plenty of chances to prove themselves while other players sat on the bench.
But once an athlete gets to the big leagues, and establish themselves as elite players, they are there to stay. Sure, when they are free agents, they move up to better teams — Shohei Otahni being a perfect example — but typically the only way athletes on top aren’t kept by their teams is if they want too much money.
Racing is different of course. The 27 drivers that make up the IndyCar Series aren’t 27 of the best open wheel drivers on the planet. Just like Formula 1 isn’t made up of 20 of the best open wheel drivers on the planet.
Or NASCAR, or IMSA, or (insert racing series here).
I know it’s different because funding has a lot to do with where a driver is employed. Daddy’s money — or personal sponsors with deep pockets — go a long way. I wish it weren’t that way, but I get it.
But if funding isn’t an issue, why would a top-level racing team let a driver walk away at the end of their contract?
In this instance, I’m talking about Will Power and Team Penske. For more than a year, his contract status (it ends at the end of this season) has been a point of discussion, and I have no clue why.
Yes, he’s in his mid-40s. He probably only has one contract left in his career. But for that contract to be with anyone else but Penske would be a travesty.
45 wins, which is fourth all-time. More poles than God (or the Godfather, Mario Andretti), two championships, an Indy 500 win. They guy has done everything in the sport.
He is far and away the best driver on the team this year, and proved that yesterday by winning in Portland. In what has been an absolute shit year for Penske, he’s still put up six top 5 finishes, and is sixth in points.
And points-wise, he’s been the best driver on the team since 2022, his championship season, and is the only Penske driver to win a title in this decade.
For the most part Power takes care of his equipment, and outside of a few outbursts that are more unintentional comedy than anything else, he’s very low-maintenance, something that can’t be said for the “face of the team”.
They only reason Penske should let him walk is if funding and sponsorship is in jeopardy if he stays, and that doesn’t seem to be the case.
And besides, who are you going to replace him with? David Malukas? There is no doubt that Malukas is a promising young driver, and maybe thanks to AJ Foyt Racing’s alliance with Penske they know something about him that I don’t. Maybe he blows them away in technical meetings, or they see something on the track that I don’t.
It can happen. I once had a Illinois Hall of Fame basketball coach tell me the same thing.
But what I do know, is that Power is still a better driver, and I don’t see that changing in the next 2-3 seasons. And honestly, if I were looking for a young driver to fill the seat, I’d be looking at Kyle Kirkwood. He has won in everything all the way up the ladder, and, like Power, is outperforming the other drivers on his team.
I’ll admit that I’m biased. I have been following Kirkwood since his F4 United States days in 2017, and I think he is criminally underrated. Maybe he needs to be goofier on social media, I don’t know.
Signing Power to one more contract will not cause Penske to miss out on any generational talents. And besides, if Roger really wants a driver, he can get them, regardless of the series they drive in or their contractual situation.
So why is Power going through this for a second time? Because if you remember, there were tons of questions the last time his contract was up too. Thankfully he was coming off of the 2022 championship and gave Penske no choice.
There should be no choice now, either. He’s earned that. He’s earned the same thing that Scott Dixon has — unwavering support from his owner and team, and the right to walk away on his own terms.
Dixon’s contract is reportedly up at the end of this season. Have we heard any of the conversations we’ve heard about Power? Nope. Chip Ganassi has shown his loyalty to Dixon plenty of times over the years.
Power should be in the same situation. Nathan Brown wrote about it in today’s Indy Star, and it is amazing how respected and in-demand Power is throughout the paddock. Strangely, it isn’t that way with his own team.
Best driver on the team. Respected. In demand. Still on top of his game.
Like I said. Make it make sense.
Your INDYCAR Experience 