ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Penske Racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya started the second season of his IndyCar comeback by fighting off a forceful challenge from team mate Will Power to take victory at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Sunday afternoon.
Will Power, defending race and series champion, started from the pole and led until lap 82 of the 110-lap race. power made his final pit stop on lap 82, a lap later and a second slower than Montoya, who moved into second, and then the lead when another Penske team mate, Helio Castroneves, pitted on lap 82.
Montoya held the lead until the checkered flag waved, despite the best efforts of Will Power, who proved that nobody, not even a team mate, beats him without a fight.
Power pushed hard in the closing laps, finally catching Montoya ten laps from the ed. power tried to squeeze underneath his team mate entering Turn Ten; the pair came together, and power got the worst of it, breaking of one of the aero aids (he calls them “rabbit ears”) protruding from the top of his front wing.
