Injury fears keep Will Power away from Daytona 24 Hours participation in IndyCar offseason

Will Power has shared that he has no intentions of competing in the 24 Hours of Daytona or other endurance events in the IndyCar offseason. The 2018 Indy 500 winner is one of the most experienced drivers on the IndyCar grid, but has rarely taken up one-off opportunities to race in other racing disciplines, unlike many of his peers.

For instance, Power's Team Penske teammates Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin have competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona with different teams. Newgarden won the 2024 Daytona race with Porsche Penske Motorsport. While McLaughlin has yet to win the race overall or even within a category, he has competed in several other endurance events - the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Petit Le Mans, and most recently, the Suzuka 1000, where he claimed a podium finish.

However, 44-year-old Will Power, who has more experience than the duo, has preferred to race in karting championships in the IndyCar offseason. In a recent interview with 2003 IndyCar champion Paul Tracy for the RACER Channel on Youtube., the Aussie revealed why endurance events aren't on his offseason list of activities.

"I did the Bathurst 24 Hour in '03. It was the only 24-hour Bathurst I did in GT3 RS, I think it was. Man, I'm not that interested... like I look at IndyCar, the field is full of obviously, high-level drivers... At this point in my career, it would suck to get hurt at the Daytona 24 Hours or something and then not be able to race Indy," Power said.

The two-time IndyCar champion, who will leave Team Penske for Andretti Global in 2026, added:

"It's at the point in my career where you don't want to do an injury where it's like yeah, that finished it. So I'm kind of just hanging out, waiting on that stuff. I'm not saying I wouldn't do it but it would have to be the right deal, man. I think you want to be with a really good team and yeah, it'd have to make sense."

Will Power elaborated further on the potential injury concerns, citing Memo Gidley's bizarre crash with the stalled car of Matteo Malucelli in the 2014 24 Hours of Daytona.

"I love SportsCar racing. It looks like a lot of fun, but after I saw Memo Gidley... it was Memo Gidley, right, the crash? I know (it was long ago), but that's the sort of thing that happens when someone's engine goes, they just stop on the track, not knowing how dangerous that is."

Power also shared that it's the same injury fear that would prevent him from competing in the SKUSA Supernational karting championship, which he usually did in the offseason.

Why Will Power pulled out of the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona

IMSA Rolex 24 Daytona - Source: Getty

In January 2023, Will Power signed with SunEnergy1 Racing team, owned by his friend and compatriot Kenny Habul, to race the Mercedes-AMG GT3 at that year's 24 Hours of Daytona.

Unfortunately, a week later, the Aussie, who had won his second IndyCar championship in 2022, had to withdraw from the event to take care of his hospitalized wife, Elizabeth, while she recovered after surgery.

"Liz has had a couple of complications after surgery this week and has a long recovery ahead of her," Will Power said in a release (via NBC). "Obviously her health is my priority, and unfortunately, that means I have had to put Daytona on hold."

Kenny Habul sympathized with Will Power, emphasizing how "family comes first," and wished Elizabeth the "fastest recovery possible." The IndyCar veteran's wife eventually recovered from the complications of the surgery and was most recently seen at the 2025 season finale in Nashville, which turned out to be Power's final race with Team Penske.