IndyCar: It was a tearful moment for Power’s wife in Victory Lane

On Sunday, NTT IndyCar Series driver Will Power got to celebrate in victory lane for the first time in two years, and it was an emotional moment.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Power won the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, his first IndyCar victory since June of 2022 at Detroit.

“When it’s your day, it’s your day,” Power told News 8 Sports’ Andrew Chernoff on SportsLocker Sunday. “We had a fast car. We saved fuel and went a lap longer (than Josef Newgarden). I think was the key to the win. It hopefully opens the gate, and we can really start pumping them out now.”

There was a special moment for Power in victory lane on Sunday, when he saw his wife Liz after he got out of the car. Liz battled major health scares the past couple of years.

“When I saw my wife’s face, and she was crying, I was quite emotional,” Power said. “I know how much she’s been through over the last year and a half. To see her back and healthy and starting to do all the stuff that she used to do.”

“She puts a lot into the family and into racing,” Power said. “I feel great that I won for her.”

In the Press Conference after the race Power was asked, Liz’s issues affected you mentally. I assume the not getting back to Victory Lane was a drain on you. How down were you? Were you thinking about maybe this is it? How were you thinking about life?

“You start thinking. When that was going on, you start thinking should I be racing at all,” added Power.

“If something happens to Liz and something happens to me, is she going to get better, what’s going to happen. The doctor said this can come back at any time. Should I be racing. That was the thing that was planted in my mind last year.

You certainly don’t perform at your highest level because you don’t want your son to have no parents. That is sort of the thing you’re thinking. Yeah, tough wrestling with that. Ultimately, yeah, if she wasn’t getting better, I would stop. I would have to stop for my son. Simple as that.”