Soon after Helio solved his problems and returned to racing, Power had no other choice but to remain sidelined and do only selected events for Penske. That aspect of his deal will change dramatically next year, as he has now signed to do a full season alongside Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe.
“To be able to compete for a full season with Penske Racing is really a dream come true for me. Working with the team this past season was the best experience of my career and I can't wait to race for the IndyCar Series championship in 2010. I really have to thank everyone at the team for this opportunity. I intend to make the most of it,” said Power.
The Aussie made an overall 6 starts in 2009, scoring one win and four Top 5 finishes in the process. Also, he led 135 laps throughout the season and got to compete in the Indy 500 also (finishing 5th). However, in what was supposed to be his last outing of the season, at Infineon Raceway, Power crashed out and sustained a serious injury, which will keep him out of action until January.
“It's to a point where in a couple of weeks I'd be able to get back in a car though I have to get fit enough to drive a car, which I don't think I'll be up to full fitness until January. I've been swimming and rowing, lots of ab work and weights. Probably I haven't done as much as I usually do is cardio, so that's what I need to spend the month doing and get back to good fitness,” added Power.
“I have very good equipment, and the way I look at it we have probably the strongest driver lineup in the paddock. We have three very good engineers and crews so I expect to be very competitive. I think the best mind-set is what I had this year. I didn't have to be concerned about points so it was all about getting a good result every race. I think that's the way I need to approach the championship,” concluded the 28-year old driver.
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