LEEDS, Ala. — Two-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Will Power continues the transition to Andretti Global as the series heads to Barber Motorsports Park this weekend.
Race four of the season marks the first traditional road course of the season and it’s a track where Power has won twice in the past while collecting five podium finishes.
Power hits the Alabama race track after finishing third on the street course in Arlington, Texas.
“It’s certainly a flowy track, very different to what we just came from, very different to, like, St. Pete,” Power said. “It’s going to be an interesting weekend for me. It’s the first time I’ve driven this thing on a road course, like a fast-flowing road course. I’m very interested to see where we stack up, if there’s any work to be done. Every year you come back, it’s more competitive. We kind of know that.
“Yeah, it is a track I really enjoy. It’s a track I’ve had a ton of success at. Always expect to be the pointy end there.”
Power, 45, is encouraged through his first three races with Andretti after xx season at Team Penske.
“I know we’re going to have chances of wins this year. I know we’re going to be fighting at the front,” Power said. “Pretty encouraged and very happy about working with this team, learning every weekend. We’re learning each other. That’s only going to get better, as well.
Yeah, showed at Arlington. Finally, we put a weekend together. Stayed quit and ended up in the top four or five all weekend, finished third. That was a very good, solid weekend.”
The IndyCar Series had last weekend off after three consecutive races to start the season. Power said he prefers to race every week, but said the break helped his team.
“I actually enjoy that stuff, keep rolling,” Power said. “But in my situation, it would have been nice to have a little bit of time in between those races just because I’m getting used to a new team. Gives you a bit more time to prepare and so on.
“But I do like the back to back to back. You got to be on your game. You got to be ready and fit all the time. I can’t say I didn’t like it. I actually enjoyed it. It is hectic. It would be cool if we raced every weekend for a whole season. That would be very nice, but that is not the case.”
Power has plenty of experience at Barber, but not much with the Andretti Global car.
“Spent a lot of time at that track over the years, but so has everyone. The little details do matter. You definitely get down to very fine details and different lines you can take, how you approach the track,” Power said. “I feel like I know it well now. I know how to extract time. Because it’s a new team, car, I don’t quite know how that car will feel there. It probably makes it a little easier because I know so many details about the track and how to be fast there.
“I was very quick there last year. It will be more about me giving good feedback to the team to get ourselves in a good window of car setup.”
