Will Power from Australia finally gave Team Penske their first victory of the 2025 IndyCar season on Sunday at Portland International Raceway. But the biggest story was Alex Palou clinching his fourth IndyCar championship in just five years.

Power ended Team Penske’s winless streak by holding off late pressure from Christian Lundgaard and championship winner Alex Palou. The two-time IndyCar champion won by 1.5 seconds over Lundgaard’s No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, with Palou finishing third in his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Team Penske had watched their rivals win all 14 races before Portland, making this a breakthrough moment for the legendary team. Power started strong and built a big lead early in the race, but had to fight hard at the end when Lundgaard and Palou closed the gap to less than a second.

“It’s just nice to win,” Power said after the race. “The guys, the whole team, not just my car, but everyone. I think they’ve all put in a great effort this year and we’ve kind of been stomped down a few times, so it’s good for everyone.”

Power’s teammate Scott McLaughlin finished seventh, giving Penske two cars in the top 10 after a difficult season.

While Power celebrated his victory, Alex Palou had even more reason to be happy. The Spanish driver clinched his fourth IndyCar championship with two races still remaining in the season.

Palou’s main rival Pato O’Ward had electrical problems early in the race that ended his championship hopes. O’Ward started from pole position but his car lost power and he fell nine laps behind, finishing last.

This championship makes Palou one of only four drivers in IndyCar history to win three straight titles. He joins an exclusive group that includes Ted Horn, Dario Franchitti, and Sebastien Bourdais.

The 110-lap race had several exciting moments and close calls. The most dramatic incident involved Christian Rasmussen and Conor Daly, who made contact three times over two laps. Their final contact sent Daly hard into the wall at the high-speed Turn 10 chicane, but IndyCar officials took no action against either driver.

Graham Rahal had his best run of the year, finishing fourth in his No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda. Alexander Rossi was fifth for Ed Carpenter Racing, and Callum Ilott finished sixth for PREMA Racing.

O’Ward’s electrical problems essentially ended the championship fight early in the race. The Mexican driver, who had been Palou’s closest challenger, was forced to pit for repairs and lost seven laps. His team eventually fixed a problem with the car’s black box, but by then it was too late.

Palou didn’t need to take any big risks once O’Ward’s problems became clear. He drove a smart race and still managed to finish on the podium while securing his fourth title.

Along with Palou’s driver championship, Honda also won the manufacturer’s title for 2025. This gives the Japanese company both major championships in IndyCar for the season.

The final 30 laps provided plenty of excitement as Power had to defend his lead on older tires. Lundgaard, running on fresher alternate tires, closed the gap to just half a second at one point. Palou also joined the fight and got within striking distance.

At one point, Palou tried to pass Lundgaard for second place but ran wide and had to settle for third. Power managed his tires perfectly and pulled away in the final laps to secure the victory.

The top 10 finishers were: Will Power, Christian Lundgaard, Alex Palou, Graham Rahal, Alexander Rossi, Callum Ilott, Scott McLaughlin, Marcus Ericsson, Josef Newgarden, and Scott Dixon.

With two races remaining in the season, Palou can now race without pressure while other drivers fight for wins and final positions in the championship standings. The series continues with races at Milwaukee and the season finale.

For Power and Team Penske, this victory provides hope that they can end the season on a strong note after a disappointing year. For Palou, it’s another chapter in what’s becoming one of the most dominant runs in modern IndyCar history.