When “strange failure” at Nashville derailed Will Power’s IndyCar championship hopes

Team Penske driver Will Power once spoke about him losing out on his third drivers championship title. He lost the title battle after a 'strange failure' with the lap belt made him pit, causing him to lose places.

On September 15, 2024, during the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix held at Nashville Superspeedway, the Australian driver needed to finish the race in third or higher in order to keep his title hopes alive. However, on lap 12, his lap belt dislodged, and he was forced to pit. By the time the belt was fixed, he was down five laps and had lost places, ending his championship dreams.

Post race, while talking to the media about his outing at the track, Power spoke about the incident. He said: (via IndyCar.com)

“I was driving down the front stretch there, and I just felt a pop on the lap belt. That's a very abnormal thing. I don’t know what went wrong. Very strange failure. I’ve never had that before. You have engine failures, gearbox failures; I had a belt failure."

The two-time IndyCar champion drives the #12 Team Penske car powered by Chevrolet. He had started the race in fourth place but had slipped down to sixth following the lap belt incident. He ended the season in fourth place in the drivers' championship.

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Will Power talks about a tough season with Team Penske amid a 'contract year'

Will Power spoke about his poor season so far with the team. He also spoke about how it is typical to have a poor season during a contract year.

The #12 Team Penske driver has had multiple crashes and engine failures throughout the season. These crashes have led to questions being raised by fans about his future with the team, as he is yet to sign a contract. Additionally, the rumors about his future with the team took flight after A.J.Foyt's David Malukas signed a technical alliance with the team and he secured a third place finish at this year's Indianapolis 500.

While in conversation with Eric Smith from IndyCar, Will Power spoke about his focus on the upcoming races left this season. He said:

“Just keep pushing. Still got (four) races to get great results. I’ve had great cars everywhere—we're quick. (I) can only smile about it because I’ve been in the sport a long time. I know these sorts of things come around. It’s very typical of life that a bad year plays out when you’re trying to get a contract."

The 44-year-old is hopeful of a contract extenstion with the team. Despite all of these setbacks, Will Power sits in ninth place in the drivers' championship with 289 points to his credit.

Edited by Pratham K Sharma