Kyle Kirkwood's Heated Encounter with Will Power in Detroit: A Matter to be Overlooked in the Future
Detroit IndyCar Race: "Will Plower" Incident Stuns Motor City
Turns out, the NTT IndyCar Series' Motor City visit was more about the drama than the race itself! Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood took home his second win of the season, but not before a weird squabble with Team Penske's Will Power. But Power's trying to let bygones be bygones.
The incident unfolded during a practice session, and it was a doozy! Detroit's tight, cramped circuit makes building a clean run practically a pipe dream. Power was trying to do just that when he caught up with Kirkwood. Instead of backing off, though, Power rammed into Kirkwood, earning him the nickname "Will Plower."
No penalties were dished out for this tussle - you'd think it was a mistake, but it wasn't the first time Kirkwood had a beef with another driver in Detroit. Last year, he sparred with AJ Foyt Racing's Santino Ferrucci, a spat fueled by the track's snug quarters.
Power and Kirkwood seemed to put their differences aside after the incident, even cracking jokes together later in the weekend. However, Power's eager to move past it, with the series heading to World Wide Technology Raceway next weekend.
"I just want it to end,” Power said, as quoted by Fox Sports. “From my perspective, we were doing about 5-10 miles an hour, and Kirkwood stopped in the middle of the corner. I made contact, and at that point, I thought he would drive off, but he didn't." Power explained. "It was just a misunderstanding. I shouldn't have done it, and I definitely wouldn't do it again."
So, even though Power wants the incident to vanish, there might be a flurry of "WILL PLOWER" taunts in the crowd for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, scheduled for June 15.
The race airs on Fox, starting at 8 pm ET.
Power might face crowd jeers during the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, echoing the "Will Plower" nickname, relating to his incident with Kirkwood, reminiscent of their clash in Detroit's tight sports track, a scene not unlike the hockey rink.
Despite the tension, Power and Kirkwood shared some light-hearted moments later, displaying a fragile truce before the series shifted focus to World Wide Technology Raceway, much like a hockey team leaving the rink after a heated game to prepare for the next opponent.
