Power took inspiration from race-one victor Sebastian Bourdais, passing his rivals in the closing stages as they were forced into pit stops at Belle Isle Park.
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New Zealand driver Scott Dixon says it’s time to start making up ground on IndyCar series leader Simon Pagenaud after emerging battered from a hard weekend in Detroit. Overshadowed by Penske teammates Simon Pagenaud and Helio Castroneves, Power had fallen from being a race favorite to being a race also-ran.
The win came thanks to his nifty on-track, outside pass of Pagenaud for fifth place on a restart lap with 18 laps to go.
Simon Pagenaud was second on the podium, with Ryan Hunter-Reay third.
Australian driver Matt Mingay had surgery for facial injuries and remained in stable but serious condition at Detroit Receiving Hospital after he crashed during the truck race Saturday at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.
Pagenaud started from the pole and from there began gapping fellow front-row starter Hunter-Reay and the field.
Will Power had a shifting issue with about 25 laps to go and finished 20th.
Bourdais, who also earned a victory in one of the two Detroit Indycar races previous year, said the Belle Isle track always seems to provide a surprise. Look for him to make another run at today’s victory as well.
Because Castroneves had to wait for IndyCar to open the pits, he cycled to the end of the lead lap because others had already pitted without losing a lap.
Montoya caused the second caution period after making contact with the barrier at Turn 8, only moments after pitting for fresh tyres.
Castroneves set a track record in the second round of qualifying with a lap of 1 minute, 14.6899 seconds on the 2.35-mile street course.
Indianapolis 500 victor Alexander Rossi finished 10th.
Mingay’s truck overturned during the third lap of the race, which was eventually suspended after a long delay.
Meanwhile Josef Newgarden’s decent run of form continued, with the Ed Carpenter Racing driver ending the 70-lap race in fourth position, ahead of reigning champion Scott Dixon. KVSH, Ganassi, and RLL also chose to roll the dice and bank on one or two more cautions coming in the final 20 laps. That win came when the race was called early because of rain. Daly scored a career-best second-place finish.
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Montoya’s day would later end when he hit the wall after his second pit stop on lap 34 and spun into the barrier.
