Pagenaud takes second straight IndyCar win after wild Rahal fight

Pagenaud led for much of the encounter, but was reeled in and overtaken by Rahal in the final laps, only to regain the advantage when Rahal clipped Jack Hawksworth as the pair attempted to lap the AJ Foyt driver, damaging his front wing.

After easing away at the start - which was delayed by two laps for an incident including Carlos Munoz, Mikhail Aleshin and Jack Hawksworth - Pagenaud always looked in control as he broke away from Josef Newgarden and Penske team-mate Will Power in the opening stint.

That control disappeared towards the end of the race, though, as he failed to make any significant progress on Conor Daly, the Dale Coyne Racing driver attempting to stay on the lead lap, allowing Power and Rahal to close up to his tail.

Pagenaud re-established a cushion during the final round of pitstops, but despite clearing Luca Filippi with relative ease, fell once again into the clutches of Rahal - who had left Power behind - who charged up to the Penske driver.

With 10 laps to go, Rahal had closed to well within a second of Pagenaud and pounced two laps later after dispatching one of his push-to-pass boosts on the exit of the Turn 5 hairpin.

The pair touched running through Turns 7 and 8, with Pagenaud forced off into the gravel and Rahal sweeping into the lead.

Race control decided no further action was warranted but Pagenaud, eager to regain the lead he had held for so long, caught back up to Rahal's rear with five laps to run.

He was handed victory after Rahal clipped Hawksworth's rear guard on the run through Turn 6, with Pagenaud completing a pass on the ailing Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Dallara-Honda a couple of corners later.

The Frenchman eventually won by a flattering 13.7476 seconds to extend his championship lead after victory a week earlier in Long Beach.

Rahal hung on for second, while Newgarden finished third after disposing of Power on the penultimate lap.

Ed Carpenter Racing driver Newgarden, who won at Barber last year, made a fantastic start and headed Power at the beginning of the opening stint.

Despite being jumped by the Penske driver and Rahal through the middle of the race, Newgarden stayed with Power in the final laps before executing his pass.

Juan Pablo Montoya, who lined up 21st and last on the grid, wound up a fine fifth despite complaining of gearshift problems, and headed James Hinchcliffe and Helio Castroneves in an intriguing fight behind the leaders.

Tony Kanaan came home eighth ahead of Charlie Kimball, with champion Scott Dixon completing the top 10 - the Kiwi recovering from being tapped into a spin on the opening lap by Sebastien Bourdais.

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