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Indy 500: On this date in 2018 – Will Power finally earns his respect

By Asher Fair

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 27: Will Power of Australia, driver of the #12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet celebrates by drinking milk after winning the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 27, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 27: Will Power of Australia, driver of the #12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet celebrates by drinking milk after winning the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 27, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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Will Power finally checked winning the Indy 500 off of his bucket list one year ago today on Sunday, May 27, 2018 in the race’s 102nd running.

The 2018 Indianapolis 500 was unlike any of the previous six Indy 500 races, in large part due to the fact that it was the first Indy 500 to feature the new UAK18 aero kits, as the 2018 IndyCar season was the first season during which these new aero kits were used. As a result, passing became a much bigger challenge, especially considering the record-breaking heat during this race.

That said, this 200-lap race around the 102nd running of the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in Speedway, Indiana was a race that still ended up featuring 30 lead changes.

But this lead change total was largely inflated due to drivers making pit stops and relinquishing the lead to other drivers who had not yet made pit stops. A total of 15 drivers led at least one lap of this race, which tied an all-time record, but 10 of them led seven or fewer laps.

The race itself was truly dominated by three drivers: polesitter Ed Carpenter of Ed Carpenter Racing, Team Penske’s Will Power and A.J. Foyt Enterprises’ Tony Kanaan. Power and Kanaan started the race in third and 10th place, respectively.

Power’s third place starting position for this race marked the 10th consecutive Indy 500 for which he advanced to the Fast Nine Shootout in qualifying.

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Carpenter had started the race from the pole position twice before, but he had never finished higher than fifth place. Power, meanwhile, had not finished the race in a position higher than his starting position since he finished in fifth in the 2009 Indy 500 after starting in ninth.

Kanaan, the only former Indy 500 winner of the three, ultimately dropped out of contention after leading 19 laps due to a flat tire. While he battled back and got toward the front of the field before the race ended, he crashed with 13 laps remaining, bringing out the race’s seventh and final caution flag period.

Power was running in fourth place during this caution flag period behind Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Oriol Servia, Andretti Autosport’s Stefan Wilson and Meyer Shank Racing’s Jack Harvey, three drivers who were trying to stretch their final fuel stints to the end of the race and/or hoping for another caution flag period to take place and effectively end the race, in first, second and third, respectively. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon was running in fifth while Carpenter was running in sixth.

The race’s final restart took place with seven laps to go, and Power did not get a good one. He nearly surrendered fourth place to Dixon, but he held him off before going on to pass Servia, who was passed by Wilson and Harvey heading into turn one on the restart, for third.

With just over four laps to go, Wilson and Harvey made their way into the pits from first and second place, respectively. As a result, Power took the lead. Servia was still running in second ahead of Carpenter, who had passed Dixon. Servia came into the pits the following lap, relinquishing second to Carpenter. Dixon advanced to third.

After crossing the finish line on the final lap a total of 3.1589 seconds ahead of Carpenter in second place, Power shouted “Show me respect, mother (expletive)!” on his radio after finally checking winning the Indy 500 off his bucket list in his 11th attempt at getting to victory lane at the famed Brickyard.

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While the 2018 Indy 500 did not feature nearly the amount of passing that the previous six Indy 500 races featured, the lead change total of 30 in this race still ranks seventh on the all-time Indy 500 lead changes list behind only the lead changes totals in the six Indy 500 races from 2012 to 2017, and it was still by far the largest lead change total of the 2018 IndyCar season.