“I was slowly fading away as the pressure (from the bottom of Tracy's race car) was increasing,” a very lucky Bourdais was able to tell the media later. “Maybe his tyre hit me when he came up but it was the bottom of his car that was on top of my head. I probably lost a little consciousness because by the time the whole thing stopped I didn't know if it was a dream or where I was, what happened. I couldn't put everything together.
“For example I don't remember (assistant team manager) Kenny (Siwieck) calling me three times or answering him. At some point I started coming out of it and saw people running toward the car. I don't know what happened; I haven't seen the video so I can't comment too much. I know I didn't change my line but don't know how Tracy got on my head.
“That's what can happen when you race wheel to wheel. I got turned around and the next thing I knew was that there was a car on top of my head. He missed the roll bar and was pushing me down into the cockpit; I was the shock absorber for him. I must have started losing consciousness then because the next thing I remember was being stopped in the grass and people coming at me.”
Somehow Tracy was able to land without major damage and continue in the top five while Junqueira was also able to stay on the lead lap, despite having to pit for a new rear wing.
With the front of the grid self destructing, fourth place starter Oriol Servia led up to the first round of pit stops, turning the lead over to Junqueira after making his first stop. Junqueira and the recovering Allmendinger went back-and-forth for the next few laps in a battle for the lead with Allmendinger eventually making a tough pass in turn nine to take the point.
In clear air at the head of the field Allmendinger was at his best putting more than a second per lap on the field, building a 10-second advantage in just six laps, but the lead evaporated quickly as a Tonis Kasemets spin brought out the yellow flag.
Tagliani and Nelson Philippe chose not to pit during the caution, putting yet another pit strategy into play, as the rest of the field chased from behind. Tagliani held Philippe off for all but one of the 16 laps needed to get to the next pit stop, before both drivers pitted, ceding the lead back to Allmendinger.
Forsythe Racing's newest darling again took the opportunity to stretch his legs, building a six-second lead in just five laps, but the yellow flag soon snatched the lead from the young American yet again as Ranger spun and stalled. Junqueira inherited the lead with Dan Clarke running a tight second as Allmendinger tried to wade back through the field. Philippe retook the lead when the two front-runners pitted on lap 72, and lasted six laps before he coasted to a stop on the back straight.
