The Frenchman repeated in light drizzle in the Motor City Saturday, driving to victory in race No. 1 of the Dual in Detroit, the Verizon IndyCar Series at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.
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Bourdais had not led a lap in any of the season’s first six races and hadn’t finished higher than eighth.
The DCR team opted not to pit Daly at the end of lap 43 along with the majority of the leaders, but instead to try and get into clean air, run flat-out, and then make a late stop for a splash of fuel. The 2016 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix is underway and race enthusiasts are heading to the island park for race weekend. Last week: Alexander Rossi became the first American-born rookie since 1928 to win the Indianapolis 500.
The Stadium Super Trucks race was one of the support races at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, which features IndyCar races Saturday and Sunday.
The second race of the weekend is on Sunday.
Sebastien Bourdais won in the rain at Belle Isle in 2015.
DEJA VU: Penske also swept the top three spots in qualifying for last year’s first race at Belle Isle. He finished first or second in each of the first five races this year before a 19th-place showing at the Indy 500. Jordan Taylor and Ricky Taylor – full-season teammates this year – captured their first victory together two years ago, and Jordan Taylor won with Max Angelelli the year before. “We had one opportunity to take the lead and he did great work with the traffic on the restart and then controlled the race from there”.
While Power’s win helps him in the fight for the championship, a runner-up finish for Pagenaud means he maintains a massive championship lead. Then in the race, Hinchcliffe made contact with a barrier at a different turn.
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Defending champion Scott Dixon lost more ground on Pagenaud in the title race after suffering a gearbox issue with 15 laps remaining, having emerged from the pits ahead of Montoya. Helio Castroneves finished fifth with Pagenaud 13th and Power 20th (due to a wheel coming off on Lap 45).
