Indeed, almost everyone from tenth back opted to stop, although it proved costly for Wilson, who exhibited the first signs of the gearbox problem that would eventually sideline him on lap 17.
It had not been a good start for the British drivers, with Dan Wheldon making contact with countryman Darren Manning on the run to the chicane firfst time around and suffering a suspension breakage that would leave him 18 laps adrift when he was finally able to rejoin. Returnee Jay Howard also succumbed early as the lone Roth Racing entry suffered a mechanical gremlin after just 15 laps.
The yellow period allowed the leaders to stretch their first pit-stop to lap 21, with Briscoe and Dixon pitting in unison, and rejoining in the same order, albeit now behind Vitor Meira, who had been among those to take advantage of Castroneves' problem to top off his fuel load. The Brazilian led for only four laps, however, before having to pit again, promoting Briscoe back to the front and setting him on course for the bonus for laps led.
Hunter-Reay was back in third at this point, and coming undewr pressure from both Kanaan - despite the AGR driver having injured his wrist in a morning warm-up shunt - and Bruno Junqueira, enjoying by far his best outing of 2008 with Dale Coyne Racing. The crucial moment came just a couple of laps on, when both RHR and Kanaan pitted ahead of the leaders and, despite the pair coming close to touching as they battled over what had become ninth, were 'rewarded' by the first of the late afternoon flurry of cautions.
Meira, having led, was battling over position in the lower reaches of the top ten when EJ Viso sensed an opportunity to pass the National Guard car. Unfortunately the move did not work out and contact between Viso's left rear and Meira's right front sent the Brazilian hard into the turn nine wall.
