Will Power was hoping to become the first back-to-back NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion since Dario Franchitti did so in 2009-2011. Last year, he was a model for consistency in winning the title after just one trip to victory lane all season.

That’s because he also scored 13 top 10 finishes, 12 of which in the top five and nine of those on the podium in 17 tries.

This year, well it’s the case of similar philosophy, different results. If things could go wrong, they have to where he didn’t have that problem last season.

In Texas his weight jacker broke or he’d have been in the top three he thinks battling for the win in the end. In Toronto, a miscalculation in data on the fuel number took him from being fourth coming to the white flag to instead having to pit.

He was relegated to a 14th place finish as a result.

Power made the Fast Six for the first time all season and had a fourth-place finish going until miss timing the fuel number on the final stint. He was fourth and even putting pressure on Colton Herta for third in the closing laps. When it looked like fourth was the best he was going to do, he ran out of fuel coming to the white flag which sparked an unscheduled pit stop.

“The car was really good, the strategy was right. I just needed a much bigger number earlier,” said Power on Sunday. “I had no idea we were going to run out.”

Power admitted that he tried to force the guys in front of him to run out of fuel by pressuring them and didn’t pay enough attention to his own fuel number.

“If I didn’t get the numbers and attacked too hard too soon, then it’s my fault,” he continued. “I was trying to put pressure on the two guys in front to run them out of fuel and probably not watching mine close enough.”

After an investigation in the debrief, Power found out that it wasn’t him. He went from fourth at the very worst to a potential runner-up if he didn’t run out and could pounce better.

“The fuel estimation was 2 percent wrong,” Power said on if he got a chance to look at what happened at the end there at Toronto. “That was the problem. We had a 2 percent error. Even if it was just a 1 percent error wrong, we’re making it, but 2 percent is — yeah, we’re making it — we were on par for the numbers that were given to me. Everyone was expecting that we would make it.

“So it was such a surprise when we saw a fuel light come on. There’s a little canister in the car. Once there’s 1.8 gallons left, that gives you the first indication of exactly where your fuel’s at. Otherwise, you’re only guessing at what the engine manufacturer tells you.

“Once that canister thing in the fuel tank, that trigger came on much earlier than we expected, which is from the 2 percent error, which is just so hard to —

“INDYCAR should allow fuel flow meters. They should. Because the amount of money teams spend on building the canister in there, the whatever it is, the fuel flow meter, because then you know exactly where it is. I think they don’t do it for cost reasons because it’s probably around ten grand for a fuel flow meter. Yeah, it would make the strategy much easier, much easier.

“Is that good or bad? You just wouldn’t have that error in there. You wouldn’t have that estimation of when the — the only thing you get is that canister full of fuel when it gets to that point, when the whole fuel cell is empty, the bottom of that canister, which is about 1.8 gallons or something.

“Yeah, unfortunate. That was maybe a potentially top three or maybe even second. But to how much more — you know, heard it running out lifting on the back straight. If we don’t have that error, we’re pushing pretty hard on those last couple laps.

“That’s no one’s fault. It’s just one of those things. Who would think 2 percent error — 1 percent error, yeah, fair enough. But 2, unfortunately.”

It’s days like that as to why he’s 175 points out of the lead in eighth in points coming to Iowa this weekend compared to 35 points back in second place last year.

By comparison, at this point a year ago, Power had one win, four podiums and seven top 10’s finishes. His average finishing position was 7.1.

This season, he’s winless with three podiums and five top 10 results. His average finish is 9.9.

That minor two spot differential has created a 74-point difference between points scored at this time this year (316) compared to at this time last year (242).

Also, it doesn’t help in the fact that it’s the opposite philosophy to win this year’s title now. Alex Palou has rattled off four wins already and has had a top five finish in 9 of 10 races run.

“He’ll probably have a bad race. He could have a couple to not even turn up and still win the championship,” admitted Power. “Now I think everyone is just absolutely going for wins. It’s not even — you know, you’re not really championship racing anymore. You’re just going for wins.

“Hence what happened at Toronto. Running out of gas, you’re willing to take more of a risk on strategy and so on. Yeah, just all about winning now, like try to rack up some wins.

“It is possible to catch him obviously, mathematically, for probably a top ten, but that’s a big gap. That’s a lot of bad races for a guy that’s very consistent. But who knows? Say you won both races at Iowa and he DNF’d both, suddenly it starts to look a little more realistic.

“But, oh, man, that’s a very solid first, I guess slightly over halfway.

“If you’re winning and you’re consistent, you’re definitely going to win the championship. Certainly, as a team, that group on that car, their strategies, pit stops, full package. Obviously, Palou, full package as a driver. Extremely tough to beat that this year.

“I think the thing that’s hurt us the most is qualifying because our race pace has been really good, strategy has been really good, pit stop’s been great. As a team, we have all struggled the most to extract the most out of the car in qualifying.”

Now, he heads to Iowa winless on the season as he’s 0-for-10.

Palou went winless for the first 16 races a year ago before winning the season finale. The last time someone went that long was Scott Dixon going 14 races in 2014. Dixon went winless in 2004.

Sam Hornish Jr. was winless in 11 races in 2003.

Can Power avoid their company?

Champions And How Long It Took To Win The Next Season

2022 – Alex Palou 16 races – won the 17th and final race

2021 – Scott Dixon – won the 3rd race at Texas

2020 – Josef Newgarden – won the 6th race at Iowa

2019 – Scott Dixon – won the 8th race in Belle Isle

2018 – Josef Newgarden won the 4th race at Barber

2017 – Simon Pagenaud – won the 4th race at Phoenix

2016 – Scott Dixon – won the 2nd race at Phoenix

2015 – Will Power – won the 5th race in the Indy Grand Prix

2014 – Scott Dixon – won the 15th race at Mid-Ohio

2013- Ryan Hunter-Reay – won the 2nd race at Barber

2012 – Dario Franchitti – won the 5th race in the Indy 500

2011 – Dario Franchitti – won the season opener at St. Pete

2010 – Dario Franchitti – won the 6th race in the Indy 500

2009 – Scott Dixon – won the 3rd race at Kansas

2008 – Dario Franchitti – went to NASCAR

2007 – Sam Hornish Jr. – won the 7th race at Texas

2006 – Dan Wheldon – won the season opener at Homestead

2005 – Tony Kanaan – won the 8th race at Kansas

2004 – Scott Dixon – winless

2003 – Sam Hornish Jr. – won the 12th race at Kentucky

2002 – Sam Hornish Jr. – won the season opener at Homestead

2001 – Buddy Lazier – won the 6th race at Pikes Peak

2000 – Greg Ray – won the 7th race at Phoenix

1999 – Kenny Brack – won the 4th race in the Indy 500

1998 – Tony Stewart – won the season opener in Disney

1997 – Scott Sharp – won the season opener in Loudon

Power has won at least one race for 16 years as he’s won every season since 2007. His 41 career wins rank fifth all-time. So, there’s a high liklihood that he can find victory lane this season.

Maybe even this weekend.

“Yeah, very good tracks coming up for us,” Power told me. “Series is ultra-competitive, so I really don’t see — I don’t see many weak teams out of the big four teams: Penske, McLaren, Andretti, and Ganassi. That’s just not — you might start to add Rahal into that now. Lundgaard is starting to be more of a regular top five finisher.

“Yeah, pretty tough field, toughest in the world actually. That’s why, if you can win one, it’s such a big deal. It’s a big deal now to win in INDYCAR.”

Power’s last three Iowa finishes are second, third and second respectively. He also has 6 top sixes in his last 8 Iowa starts overall. On another short oval in Gateway, Power finished 3rd and 6th in his last 2 starts.

These make up 3 of the next 5 races.

However, he’s also 0-for-15 at Iowa too. He says that’s all part to do with his teammate Josef Newgarden who’s dominated there.

“Heading back to Iowa. Yeah, yeah, yeah, one of my favorite tracks. Been trying to win there for years. There’s one guy that seems to prevent it. Yeah, it’s going to be fun,” said Power.

Nashville he’s never had a top 10 finish in two tries. The Indy road course has been his playground. He’s won the return trip in 2 of the last 3 years including being third last year. He was 12th though this past May.

He has two top two finishes including a win in 2019 at Portland in his last three tries there while also being 2nd, 26th and 3rd in his three Laguna Seca tries.

That could spark a nice run to the end for Power who’s inching closer now than he did a year ago.

In Detroit, he won at Belle Isle last year and was runner-up on the downtown streets this season. For Road America, it was 19th last year and 13th this. In Mid-Ohio, he finished third in each of the last two years. Toronto last year he finished 15th. This year was 14th.

It’s just that he’s going to have to catch the Ganassi’s if he wants to win this year’s title.

“They have the best cars right now. They do,” he said. “They’re able to extract the most out of qualifying. Their cars look good off the tires, they’re very fast in the race, and their strategy’s good — they’re just simply the best team right now. They are.”