Now, we’ll see what Will Power is made of.

We already know that the native Australian can drive the streets of Long Beach after his 2008 victory in the final race in Champ Car history.  He proved that again on Friday, posting the best lap time of the practice session in a field laced with much more talent than the one he dominated last year.  Power already had his hands full trying to defend his crown.

Now, all bets are off.

With yesterday’s news that fellow Penske driver Helio Castroneves was acquitted of federal tax evasion charges, Power’s promising weekend has been flipped upside down.  Castroneves, a two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, is on his way to Long Beach as you read this, giving Team Penske a third driver along with 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon.

That doesn’t leave a lot of room for Power, defending Long Beach champion or not.  On Friday, Penske announced that Castroneves will use the #3 car that Power has been driving to perfection thus far.  Castroneves normally drives the #3, but Power was using it in his absence,  With his return, Power is forced to relent the car he has spent two days tweaking and tuning, and he’ll attempt to replicate the setup and the success in the Team Penske backup car.

“Tomorrow, I’ll be in a new car and we’ll transfer everything over from this one,” Power said after a Friday practice session.  “So it’s there for Helio, it’s a good car.  I’m happy with everything heading into the weekend.”

If that weren’t enough, Castroneves will also take over Power’s position on pit row, relegating the Long Beach Grand Prix defending champion to a makeshift setup hastily plopped at the back end.  It would be a tough pill for anyone to swallow, but Penske is a racing powerhouse that attracts the best drivers, and Power finds himself now squeezed out by two of the very best.  Certain accommodations are made for winners of multiple Indy 500s, and Power will have to defend his title by starting from scratch with only one day to prepare for the race on Sunday.

Not that Castroneves can be fairly blamed for the situation.  It was the decision of Team Penske, not the driver, who’s just had a massive weight removed from his shoulders and simply wants to return to his car.  Power acknowledged that he knew this situation could occur at any point in the season, and said all of the right things during an impromptu press conference yesterday.

“I’m very happy for Helio and his family,” Power said, expressing excitement to compete in the backup #12 car.  “This team’s made me feel very welcome. It’s a first-class team. I really love working with these guys, and you never know what can happen.”

Can Power pull off the victory anyway?  It’ll take a lot of skill and a lot of luck.  His team will have to try and replicate the setup they created with the #3 car, and hope that they get it right.  At least, close enough to give Power to set a good qualifying lap in order to earn a respectable starting point for Sunday’s race.  He’s already shown the ability to dominate this track in two different types of cars.  

The bigger question revolves around how Power will handle being pushed – however politely – to the side as the star returns.