With Bourdais easing away from Power, and the Aussie doing likewise to Wilson, it took a full course yellow to provide some excitement, the yellows flying for debris just as the pit window opened.
The entire field took the opportunity to duck in for fuel and tyres, but it was Power who emerged first, the yellow-and-green car on the red option Bridgestones. Bourdais was back in third, the legacy of a poor pit box following his Toronto result and an inadvertent block from Legge as she trailed the rest of the field in for her stop. Jani was another in trouble, the Swiss driver getting a slow turnaround from PKV and dropping to the back of the pack.
With the field still held behind the safety car for a lap or so after all had rejoined, Jani was able to make short work of Legge and Figge at the green, and Power also wasted little time in putting the hammer down, eking out a three-second lead over Wilson by lap 29.
Again, the order changed little, with few close battles on track – or at least few that resulted in place changes – leaving the pit-stops to provide the only reshuffle. Behind Bourdais, team-mate Rahal was up to fourth at the expense of the unfortunate Jani and Power's team-mate Simon Pagenaud, while Bruno Junqueira dropped back from his initial, allowing both Alex Tagliani and Paul Tracy through.
Those at the rear of the field then moved up a spot with the first retirement befalling Dominguez, who was advised to pull off when the rear of his PKV machine started trailing a smokescreen. The Mexican suggested the engine was
not to blame, however, pointing the finger at the gearbox or exhaust.
Having been gifted a place, meanwhile, Legge was unable to make the most of it, quickly joining Dominguez on the sidelines when her Dale Coyne car ground to halt four laps later, with just 36 tours under its belt. The Briton, who was still shrugging off the effects of a heavy crash in Saturday practice, blamed a locking gearbox or differential for her exit.
