Power’s last race at Penske could be Indy

Will Power looks at the statistics and shakes his head. Runner-up in his last IndyCar race at Long Beach. Sixth in the opener at St. Petersburg. Ninth in points this season, and number 9 on the 33-car starting grid for Sunday's Indianapolis 500.

And Sunday's race could be Power's last of the year.

The 28-year-old Australian understood this was possible when he accepted Penske Racing's offer to temporarily replace Helio Castroneves in January. Rather than risk everything on a possible full-time gig in a bad economy, Powers opted for a safer play – joining the series' most prominent team while the two-time Indy winner fought federal tax evasion charges.

Now that Castroneves is back, Power's future is unclear. "I have no clue what's going to happen,'' he said. "It's always on your mind, but it's out of my control.''

Should Power win at Indy, it would be tough for Roger Penske to let him go. A top-10 finish Sunday might be enough to turn heads, yet an early exit could leave Power unemployed.

Power understands the stakes: Every lap, every pass, every move will be closely monitored by Penske and others. More at AP Article