{"id":222817,"date":"2026-01-08T07:15:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T07:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/222817\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T07:15:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T07:15:17","slug":"will-power-completes-first-andretti-indycar-drive-at-phoenix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/222817\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Power completes first Andretti IndyCar drive at Phoenix"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Will
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAndretti Global driver Will Power at Phoenix. <\/p>\n

By no means was it a fully-fledged test, however. Power\u2019s maiden drive was part of a tyre validation with Firestone to finalise the compounds for the Phoenix race in March.<\/p>\n

Cold conditions greeted Power, who was joined on track by Team Penske\u2019s Josef Newgarden.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. You feel very out of place once you get in the car and get rolling \u2013 then it\u2019s just like \u2018Oh, it\u2019s an IndyCar\u2019,\u201d said Power.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going through the same processes. Very good first few runs. Now we\u2019ve got plenty of work to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cNice to feel the Honda engine. It\u2019s very good. Definitely looking forward to getting in amongst a lot more cars and seeing where we stack up.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tyre test offered Power a low-stress opportunity to familiarise himself with his new team.<\/p>\n

The two-time series winner said he spent the day learning names and working closely with his new engineer Andy Listes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just the typical stuff. You\u2019re just trying to understand how everything works in this team,\u201d said Power.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been at one other team, Penske, for 17 years, so it was just like second nature; you didn\u2019t think about anything.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, you\u2019ve got to get the steering wheel in the right position, the pedals and padding, and just basic things like that \u2013 but, all good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Power will return to Phoenix in March with \u201cunfinished business\u201d having led 80 laps of the 2018 race before crashing on Lap 153.<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019s a happy hunting ground for Power, who finished third in 2016 and second in 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a couple of chances to win and it hasn\u2019t played out,\u201d said Power.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do like this place. I like the area, the city. Yeah, it\u2019s going to be fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s good for us that we\u2019re having an open test here because I feel like, just look at the results in the past, it\u2019s somewhere where we need to improve, so we\u2019ll get plenty of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

IndyCar will have an open test at Phoenix on February 17-18.<\/p>\n


\"\"\/
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