MOTORSPORT: Power is the $3.36 million man

Will Power, the first Australian to win the Indianapolis 500, has picked up a cheque for US$2,525,454 – more than A$3.36 million – for the achievement.

The 3.1589 seconds between first and second in the 102nd running of the 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' on Monday morning, Australian time, amounted to more than US$1.6 million, with hometown runner-up Ed Carpenter getting "just" US$911,504 at the prize giving the night after the race.

The total payout on America's open-wheeler classic this year was US$13,078,065, with the first driver out of the race – another Aussie, James Davison, who crashed before quarter-distance – collecting US$200,305.

Third-placed New Zealander Scott Dixon received US$587,129 and Canadian Robert Wickens, the top rookie finisher in ninth place, US$424,979.

It's not immediately clear how much of the prizemoney each of the 33 drivers will get to keep, but the traditional benchmark has been 40 per cent, with their teams deciding how to divvy up the rest.

But Power will give the Chevrolet Corvette pace car from the race, which was one of his bonuses for his feat at the place they call The Brickyard, to his wife, Liz, whose post-race celebrations were almost as wild as his.

Power's victory was the 17th in the classic for iconic American team owner Roger Penske.

"It's such a weight off of my shoulders," Power said.

"I don't have to have those questions [after 11 starts in the race] any more about what it would mean to win the Indy 500? Now I know."

Conor Daly, who finished 21st, told Power his celebration in Victory Lane had been "exactly how you should do it".

"You looked like a psychopath getting out of that car. That is exactly what it means. This is the biggest race ever. Go crazy. You did it," Daly said.

Penske teammate Simon Pagenaud described Power as "an awkward human being" who "without Liz wouldn't know how to survive".

Humbled and overwhelmed by the accolades – and jibes – he received, Power said that standing on stage with the Chevrolet-powered Dallara car he drove to victory at an average speed of 166.935mph – almost 270km/h – was "surreal".

"You saw by my emotion after the win how much this meant to me," Power said.

"I have had so many wins [34 in IndyCar] and so many poles, [but] I believed my career wouldn't be complete without an Indy 500 win and I finally got it.

"I feel like this was my best month at Indy in terms of attitude. I never slept better than I did this month.

"I won the Grand Prix [on the road course within the Indianapolis Motor Speedway two weeks earlier – Penske's 200th victory in the IndyCar series] and I won the Indy 500 and that is quite an accomplishment."

Power said he had been "blown away" when he raced in his first Indianapolis 500 in 2008.

"I've obsessed over it and wondered if I would ever get to drink the bottle of milk [traditionally handed to the victorious driver]," Power said.

"It was so cool on that victory lap to see all of the Australian flags that were here."

Power thanked IndyCar racing fans generally.

"It's amazing the passion, not only the love for the drivers, but the hate as well," he said.

"That's when you know people are really passionate about who they are backing when they can scream out, 'You suck.'

"That's it, I won the Indy 500. I can't believe it."

Power, Liz and Team Penske representatives are now off on a whirlwind media tour, including to New York, before this weekend's IndyCar round in Motor City, Detroit, the headquarters of Roger Penske's automotive empire.