Once again, however, it was Kanaan who led the pack back on track, as Castroneves was delayed by his crew prematurely dropping the #3 car off its jacks and requiring another lift to get the right rear wheel fixed properly.

Wheldon's race was nearly jeopardised when, on the restart, he indulged in a little wheel-to-sidepod contact with John Andretti, but both survived to tell the tale.

The other Andretti, meanwhile, was making his play, harrying Kanaan for several laps before finally diving through into turn one on lap 135. Once on front, Marco appeared able to hold position comfortably, only to be thwarted when Mario Moraes spun attempting to enter pit-lane. The ensuing caution not only allowed the pack to close up on the #26, but the following pit-stops again saw Kanaan return to the lead as Andretti was delayed by a sticking airline.

The American hope was not alone, for Oriol Servia, Vitor Meira - who had received an early penalty, got another for clipping one of Foyt's hoses - and John Andretti were also delayed.

Castroneves, however, was right back in the fight, and wasted no time in repassing Kanaan at the restart, while Hunter-Reay continued to make ground, ducking under Texas nemesis Andretti later in the lap. Only a few flying laps were possible, however, before a 'bloody loose' Enrique Bernoldi spun the second of the Conquest cars, bringing out the yellows for a fourth time.

It was now that the shape of the race turned, as Wheldon, Hideki Mutoh, Danica Patrick and Ernesto Viso bucked the trend by staying on track while the rest of the field pitted. Although Viso blinked and stopped a couple of laps later for a top-up, the leading trio continued to hold station at the front of the field until the lap 196 restart.

That proved to be a false start, with Moraes finally doing terminal damage to the lone Dale Coyne entry against the turn two wall, and the every lap under yellow played into the hands of the risk-takers.

Wheldon continued to lead following the next restart but Kanaan, having made his way back into third, saw his hopes of catching and passing his former team-mate evaporate as the rear of the 7-Eleven car came around in turn one on lap 211, slamming the Brazilian into the wall in a replica of his 2007 exit at the same track.

No-one of note stopped under the lengthy caution and, after the attempt at a restart on lap 225 was again waved off, it became clear that it was now a race to the end. Wheldon had rookie Mutoh in close attendance, with Andretti leading the chase.

Castroneves, however, was no longer a factor, the Penske man seeing Power, Hunter-Reay, Briscoe, John Andretti and Justin Wilson all file past in quick succession as he reported a rapidly deflating right front tyre.