IndyCar Rumor: Penske’s Will Power eyes move to NASCAR

Roger Penske has yet to renew driver Will Power’s IndyCar contract, and the Australian veteran is examining all his options.

Whispers are swirling that Will Power, the 2018 Indy 500 champ and Team Penske star, is reportedly itching to try his hand at stock cars as his IndyCar future hangs in the balance.

With his contract up and a prime seat open at Trackhouse Racing after Daniel Suárez’s deal expires this year, could 2026 be Power’s NASCAR moment?

Will Power’s been a force in IndyCar, with two championships and 44 wins since his 2008 debut, but the 44-year-old’s got his eyes on something new. On the Stacking Pennies podcast, he admitted he’d “love” to tackle a NASCAR race, especially an oval, just to feel the rush of a stock car.

His handful of Supercars races in Australia, including a double podium in 2012, gave him a taste of door-to-door racing, but NASCAR’s a whole different beast. Power’s no stranger to Penske’s NASCAR operation, which fields three Cup Series Fords, and he’s floated the idea to Roger Penske himself, joking he’s just trying to keep his current ride but adding, “It’s got to make sense for him.”

The idea’s gaining traction. Power revealed a recent text from an Xfinity team asking if he was free for the Portland weekend, hinting at a potential fill-in role. “I would do that. Yeah, I love NASCAR,” he said, showing his enthusiasm’s no passing whim.