Will Energy Ends 2025 As It Began With No New Deal From Penske

Bob Pockrass

FOX Motorsports Insider

LEBANON, Tenn. — Will Power made the walk from his pit stall to the Penske paddock area after the final race of the 2025 INDYCAR season not fully knowing if he had competed in his final race for the team that he has called home the last 17 years.

As he talked throughout the Nashville Superspeedway weekend, Power did not sound like someone who would return to the team. He and team owner Roger Penske are expected to meet Monday, with his future expected to be decided in the coming days.

Power has earned 42 of his 45 career wins as a Team Penske driver. The 44-year-old Power — the 2014 and 2022 INDYCAR champion — ranks fourth all-time in career wins and first in career poles with 71.

“I’m very fortunate to have been with the team,” Power said. “We’ll see what happens. Either way, I’ve been lucky, very lucky.

And on his future?

“I don’t know. We’ve been talking, and we’ll decide what to do.” he said. “…. Either way, no matter what happens, Roger has been very, very good to me. I’ve had a chance to win championships, Indy 500, poles.”

Will Power very well might have run his final race for Team Penske.

But after 17 successful seasons — and clearly more in the tank as he entered the season finale eighth in the standings — Power quite possibly will finish his career driving something other than a Penske car.

He finished 21st at Nashville on Sunday after he made a mistake on a pit stop where he slid through his pit stall. Power finished ninth in the series standings in what has been one of Team Penske’s worst seasons. He still finished ahead of teammates Scott McLaughlin (10th) and Josef Newgarden (12th). Team Penske did win two of the last three races with Power capturing the victory at Portland and then Newgarden winning the Nashville finale.

Newgarden called Power “a legend” after the race, and Power reiterated his thankfulness to race for a legendary racing organization.

“It gives me goosebumps thinking about it — to be presented that opportunity and work really hard with a group of people like that,” Power said. “We’ll see what happens. We’ll know in a couple of days.”

Should Power move on, he most likely would be replaced by A.J. Foyt Racing driver David Malukas, a 23-year-old (he’ll turn 24 in September) who finished 11th in the standings. He crossed the finish line of the Indy 500 in third and eventually finished second after a Kyle Kirkwood disqualification.

Power should have options, however he has not been able to have formal talks with teams until now. Although none of the big teams theoretically have a clear opening, virtually every team has a scenario where they possibly could make moves to open a spot for Power.

“There are definitely options,” Power said. “It depends on what you want to do. You want to be able to be somewhere you can win.”

Throughout the weekend, Power cracked jokes about showing up Sunday and leaving the Penske garage area with a box of his stuff.

“We truly just don’t even know what’s going on,” his teammate McLaughlin said. “We joke about it and we muck around. Will’s a stand-up guy, and I’ve really enjoyed working with him, and I still do.

“I would love to continue working with him, but, ultimately, the team makes those decisions way above me — and if it doesn’t end up being him or whatever, I’m here for the team, and we’ll work together well. … Times change. We’ll see what happens.”

As everyone talked about his future, Power seemed to have a pessimistic tone. But he was adamant that his future had not been decided.

“I just don’t know,” Power said Saturday. “Roger and I have been speaking. It’s fine. We’re talking. … Why focus on that until we race, then we can think about it.”

Power can leave Penske, if he leaves, with his head held high that he took what wasn’t a full-season deal at the time and turn it into one of the best careers an INDYCAR driver has had.

“You take the ball and run with it and that’s what I did,” Power said. “Just an amazing career. We’ll see. Plenty of options either way. I’ll always look back at my time at Penske, if I don’t go back, as one of the best times of my life.

“I’ve been given great equipment and worked with great, great people.”

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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