Power back in the winner's circle at Indy

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©IndyCar

Penske's Will Power conquered his 38th career win in IndyCar on Saturday at Indianapolis and his first victory of the 2021 season.

The Aussie put in a brilliant drive to seal his fifth triumph on the Speedway's road course, edging Dale Coyne Racing's Romain Grosjean and Andretti Autosport's Colton Herta.

"We needed that as a group," Power said, savoring his win on Indy's podium.

"I can’t tell you how good these guys have been all year. Flawless on pit stops. They’ve given me the car, and we’ve had some bad luck. I’ve made some mistakes, as well.

"So stoked to get the Verizon 5G car in Victory Lane. Oh, what a relief, man!"

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The final stage of Saturday's Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix was marked by the retirement of championship leader Alex Palou who suffered an engine failure while running fourth with just 17 laps to go.

But the Chip Ganassi charger who still holds a 21-point advantage in the series' standings over Arrow McLaren SP's Pato-O'Ward vowed to remain positive despite the setback.

"We had the worst day and we’ve still got 21 points [on everyone else]," said the Spaniard. "I think we're in a good spot.

"We just need to keep doing what we're doing. We were once again fighting for the race, we had good pitstops and the crew is strong, we'll just keep fighting for the races."

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.