LONG POND, Pa. — Will Power won the shortened race Sunday at Pocono Raceway, the 13th straight season he’s won an IndyCar race. The race was called with 72 laps left because of lightning and severe weather in the area.
The lightning near the track meant the medevac helicopter required at races was unable to take off in the event anyone at the track needed to be flown to the hospital, bringing the race to the halt.
Lightning strikes at Pocono after a rain-shortened NASCAR race killed one fan in 2012.
Power was in the right position to a win a race marred by yet another horrific wreck that collected five drivers on the first lap and sent Chip Ganassi Racing driver Felix Rosenqvist to the hospital for evaluation.
IndyCar announced that Rosenqvist was set to be released for the hospital.
IndyCar at Pocono has turned into perhaps the scariest race day in motor sports, 500 miles of danger for drivers on the 2 1/2-mile track and white knuckles and clasped hands for anyone watching the event.
Justin Wilson died in 2015 from a head injury after being struck by debris from another car. Robert Wickens was paralyzed in an early-lap accident last year. His car shot into a fence, leaving the promising IndyCar driver paralyzed from the waist down.
The green flag had barely been dropped when 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato used an aggressive — arguably foolish — move to trigger the wreck that sent Rosenqvist to the hospital.
Sato tried to shoot a gap on the first lap, cut off Rossi and connected with Hunter-Reay in crash that left cars and debris strewn across the track. Sato’s car landed upside down on Hunter-Reay’s Honda.
« I can’t even begin to understand how after last year Takuma thinks that’s acceptable, » Rossi said. « It’s disgraceful. »
Rosenqvist hit the fence nose first and his car slammed back on the track. Rosenqvist did not suffer life-threatening injuries and was cleared.
Hinchcliffe and Rossi also had their runs cut short and served 10-lap penalties because of car repairs under the red flag. The race was stopped for 45 minutes and two minor mesh patches were needed to repair the fence.
Rossi, who won Pocono last year, saw his IndyCar championship hopes take a serious blow. He entered just 16 points behind leader Josef Newgarden and fell to 35 points back.
Power raced to his 36th career victory. The Team Penske driver won the 2014 series championship.
Black clouds formed over the track just past the halfway point and the race was shortly red flagged because of lightning. Not long after Power had his win, it started pouring at the track and he was ushered to the media center for a makeshift podium celebration. Scott Dixon was second and Simon Pagenaud was third. Newgarden, the 2017 series champion, finished fifth.
UP NEXT
IndyCar races Saturday at Gateway International Raceway. Power won the race.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
http://www.espn.com/racing/indycar/story/_/id/27415730/power-wins-pocono-13th-straight-year-win
