Just as the field was beginning to spread out, however, the organisers threw a full course yellow to attend to kerbing that had gone awry at the turn five chicane, scene of much aerial activity during the weekend. After spending a lap being the safety car, the entire field opted to pit, even though the caution came some nine laps before the expected pit window.
All bar Doornbos and Tristan Gommendy opted to take on black rubber – including Power and Graham Rahal, who had started on the harder compound – and while Pagenaud used the stop to claw back some of his lost ground, climbing to eighth, Bruno Junqueira saw his frontrunning fourth place descend into 15th after a long fill and Mario Dominguez also dropped to the back, where Legge continued to occupy 17th spot..
The race really began to look interesting when Figge dropped the Pacific Coast car in the turn one gravel trap on lap 26. Coming just ten laps after the initial caution, the second safety car period of the afternoon provided an opportunity for those hoping to salvage a decent result to switch to an alternative strategy.
Sixth-placed Tagliani was the highest placed driver to take advantage of the situation, but he was followed in by Tracy, Servia, Rahal, Junqueira and Dominguez, while Figge made a cautionary check after he had been recovered from the hazard. Rahal was stationary for some five seconds less than his rivals, rejoining at the front of the queue – and quickly disposing of Legge on the restart - t suggesting that his alternative strategy may be a little more extreme than the rest.
Bourdais led the field through lap 30, with just under an hour remaining in the timed event, but still had Doornbos for company, with Power and Wilson not far adrift. Legge continued to slide back through the pack, with Tracy, Tagliani, Servia and Junqueira making short work of the #11 machine, and Dominguez following suit on lap 34 to push the Briton towards the back of the field once again.
