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| Human ingenuity amplified by AI - Andretti INDYCAR has partnered with TWG AI as the primary sponsor for the #26 Andretti Honda driven by first year Honda & Andretti Global Driver, Will Power. Image Credit Andretti Global via FB/META (2026) |
Will Power, Andretti Global, And The Parity Push At Barber – Four Races In March And A 25-Car Field That Refuses To Settle
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES rolls into one of its most picturesque and physically
demanding venues this weekend for the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix
powered by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park, and the early-season script
keeps getting more interesting.
In just three races held so far in 2026, the series has produced three
different winners from three different teams. That kind of spread-out victory
lane is exactly what fans love to see, and the fourth race of the month
crammed into a 29-day window offers another prime opportunity for the
competitive balance of this 25-car field to assert itself even further.
It has been more than 50 years since the series packed March this
aggressively. In the past decade, only the month of July has hosted as many
events across different locations. The pace has been relentless, the racing
sharp, and the storylines fresh.
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| Andretti Global dominates the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington weekend! Kyle Kirkwood capped the day in style by driving the No. 27 JM Bullion / Gold.com Honda to the win in the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. Marcus Ericsson led the field to green from pole position, while Will Power delivered a strong run to finish third, giving Andretti Global three cars in the top four on the new 2.73-mile Arlington street circuit. The victory marks Andretti’s 78th INDYCAR win and their 21st on a street circuit. With the win, Andretti Global now leads the INDYCAR driver championships as the series heads to Barber Motorsports Park after a short break. Image Credit: Andretti Global via FB/META (2026) |
Will Power, now in his first campaign with Andretti Global, sat down for a press conference this week and delivered his usual mix of blunt honesty, dry humor, and quiet confidence. The veteran corrected the moderator early on: he finished third at the Streets of Arlington, not fourth, behind teammate Kyle Kirkwood's impressive victory and Alex Palou in second. It was a strong weekend for the team overall.
Power acknowledged the slow start in the points incidents at St. Petersburg
and Phoenix hurt but stressed the underlying speed has been there. The team
led at Phoenix before the trouble, and he believes a top-five finish was
likely at St. Pete. "The capability to contend for the championship is there,"
he said. "It's a very good team."
This weekend at Barber carries extra weight for Power. He owns two wins and
five podiums at the Alabama rollercoaster, a flowing, elevation-heavy road
course that rewards rhythm and precision. Yet it marks his first time piloting
the current Andretti car on a proper fast-flowing road course. Friday practice
will be critical as he evaluates setup and where the package stacks up in a
field that grows tighter every year.
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| High commitment series of corners and an elevation rise at the end of a high-speed practice run by Will Power has him finishing day one in the top ten drivers in a field of twenty-five. Image Credit: Joe Skibinski - Penske Entertainment (2026) |
Power made it clear he expects to be at the pointy end again, but he also knows this stop will reveal plenty about whether Andretti has closed the road-course gap they identified last season.
No discussion of the 2026 title chase skips Alex Palou. Power, the last driver
to win a championship against the Ganassi star, described him plainly as the
standout and the one setting the standard. While other Ganassi entries haven't
matched that level, Palou remains consistently at the front no matter the
track type.
To beat him, Power noted, a team and driver cannot afford a single glaring
weakness not in qualifying, race pace, strategy, or pit stops. "You can't have
a weakness ultimately 'cause he will get you," Power observed. He even joked
(mostly) about wanting an in-car camera of Palou on a road or street course
just to study the man's technique.
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| Pitlane ponderings run through Will Power's mind while in his box at Practice 1 of the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park. Image Credit: Joe Skibinski - Penske Entertainment (2026) |
Power drew a parallel to his battles with Dario Franchitti years ago but noted the modern era is tougher: a misstep today drops you to 17th, not third, thanks to the depth in the field. Still, he sees Andretti currently led in the standings by teammate Kirkwood as right in the mix.
Power has been impressed with his new squad. He described their debriefs as
very military like more structured than what he experienced at Penske with
strong processes and ample resources. "They've got everything they need to win
a championship," he said. He's providing feedback drawn from years at another
top organization, and the team is already making directional improvements.
The whirlwind of adapting to new people, procedures, and car feel has been
intense. A recent weekend off helped him catch our breath and digest lessons,
especially valuable while prepping for the Indianapolis cars. Power believes
the ingredients for a title fight exist right now, not in three years as he
once projected. Arlington showed the pace; Barber will test it on a classic
road course.
He also tipped his cap to the late George Barber, praising the passion and
presentation that turned the venue into one of the series' best from the
museum to the sculpted grounds and flowing track layout. Tributes and stickers
honoring Barber will feature prominently this weekend.
Power sounded genuinely upbeat about the health of INDYCAR. Ratings, crowds,
and event quality are rising. He credited the new Arlington layout,
partnerships with major sports owners like Jerry Jones, and the overall push
for bigger, better spectacles. "From when I first started to now, it's only
progressively got better and better every year," he remarked.
Looking ahead, Long Beach remains a traditional strength for Andretti, and
Power expects the car to shine there. Indy 500 preparations continue, with
focus on building a qualifying-fast machine to complement the team's noted
race-handling strengths.
With three different winners from three different teams already on the board,
Barber represents another chance for the parity narrative to deepen or for
someone to stamp authority. Power and Andretti arrive optimistic but
realistic: the road course will be telling. Palou lurks as the benchmark. The
25-car field remains deep and unpredictable.
Four races in March. A sport showing renewed vitality. And a veteran driver in
a new home still chasing that championship feel while enjoying the ride.
The Alabama hills are calling. The pointy end awaits. And the early-season
story of balance and opportunity has every reason to continue.
As this article is sent to the web to be published, the first practice session is in and Will Power unloads and finishes, during the last and final session of Practice 1, as the 4th quickest Honda and nearly one-half of a second behind the top Chevy driven by former teammate Scott McLaughlin.
... notes from
The EDJE
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