Toronto IndyCar: Will Power boosts title bid with another win

The race looked like it was polesitter Scott Dixon's to lose amid a dominant first half in which he had built a solid near eight-second lead after the first pit phase.

But Dixon's race unravelled when Iowa winner Josef Newgarden clobbered the peeling kerbs at Turn 5 on lap 59 of 85, and launched himself into the wall.

That brought out the yellow flags right as the final pit window opened, which meant race leader Dixon, championship leader Simon Pagenaud and Juan Pablo Montoya were all forced to cede track position and pit under the caution period.

The yellow flags helped Power, who had already entered the pits just seconds before the crash, and his Penske team-mate Helio Castroneves, who had pitted the previous lap.

Dixon and Pagenaud came out of the pits outside the top 10, leaving Power to comfortably bring home the win despite a late yellow caused by Jack Hawksworth and Montoya clouting the walls.

The final caution gave home favourite James Hinchcliffe the opportunity to sneak onto the podium with a ferocious final stint of fuel-saving.

Tony Kanaan, on an alternative three-stop strategy, and Takuma Sato also benefited and were fourth and fifth

Dixon and Pagenaud eventually came home eighth and ninth respectively.

Despite missing the first race of the season in St Petersburg with a medical issue, Power now lies second in the championship standings, leapfrogging Newgarden.

RESULTS - 85 LAPS:

LEADING CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS