"It's like winning the Super Bowl" - Will Power gives his hot take on winning the Indy 500 versus an IndyCar championship

Some drivers assert that winning the Indy 500 is bigger than winning the IndyCar championship, and Will Power is a part of this camp. The 43-year-old drew an analogy between winning the Indy 500 and the Super Bowl and explained the popularity factor of the elusive race.

Power has been in the premier open-wheel racing scene in the US since 2005. He switched over to Team Penske in 2009, and the relationship has flourished into a successful one. The Aussie won two championships and one Indy 500 with the established outfit.

Moreover, in his 17 attempts at the Indy 500, Will Power won the 2018 Indianapolis 500. Subsequently, when he was asked on the Apex Hunters podcast about who he would choose, the IndyCar championship or winning the Indy 500, he said:

"To win another another [Indy] 500. Yeah, it would be. I know it's tough to give up a championship but if you see how much it means in this country to win [the] Indy 500 that's why you would pick that. It's crazy when you win it [Indy 500], how much attention gets and how many [and] how long it lasts. Like a gift that keeps on giving it's crazy, it's like winning the Super Bowl. Yeah, very prestigious race to win but I love the championship. So, it sucks; you pick between those two but yeah the Indy 500 is a very big deal over here." (58:33 onwards)

While Power has a Borg Warner trophy in his cabinet, the 43-year-old has never won the pole position around the 2.5-mile track.

---

Will Power has had an interesting relationship with the Indy 500

Will Power at the NTT IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Qualifying - Source: Getty

In his 17 appearances at the track, Will Power has qualified five times on the front row. However, he has never bagged the P1 award for the race, despite having the most pole positions in the series at 70.

Moreover, Power qualified P2 at the 2024 iteration of the Indy 500 and was dejected with his effort, and he said (via Nine.com):

"It sucks, man. As soon as I saw the first lap, I knew it was over... I just keep getting seconds this year, but I'm not sure I'll ever get this pole position. For some weird reasons I just think it's one of those things where racing Gods go, 'Yeah, you can have the pole record, but you're certainly not going to get this one'. That's just the irony of life. Like I said yesterday, it's not the end of the world if I don't. It's just a box to tick. It's a good one. Obviously the race winner is much bigger."

The 2025 Indy 500 will take place on May 25, it will be the 109th edition of the elusive race.