After an upset pole position by Santino Ferrucci it was Will Power who led out of the Festival Curves, which surpisingly saw no incidents. Incidents did however happen coming out of turn 7, as Scott Dixon was pushed on the grass by Kyle Kirkwood. When he got back on track he tried to negotiate the same piece of real estate as Pietro Fittipaldi, which saw the six-time champion being punted into the outside wall of the back stretch.
The Brazilian gets awarded a drive-through penalty for his mistake, as the Kiwi is practically eliminated from the championship fight. Under the resulting yellow a few of the backmarkers decide to make their first pitstop, in an attempt to gain some strategic advantage.
Will Power leads the field to green, and everyone gets safely through the first few laps. Championship leader Álex Palou overtakes Ferrucci at the start of lap 8, highlighting the lack of of pace of the A.J. Foyt entry compared to the top teams.
Alexander Rossi and David Malukas are the first to make a green-flag pitstop, dropping both to the back of the field. Christian Lundgaard in the meantime outbrakes himself into turn 1, dropping him back to 12th. Linus Lundqvist takes the escape road in the final few turns, as he loses control briefly coming out of the chicane, losing some time and positions in the proces.
Rinus VeeKay and Pato O’Ward are the next ones to stop, but both are being passed by Rossi and Malukas, proving that the undercut is strong today. Kirkwood, Felix Rosenqvist and Jüri Vips follow a lap later.
Fittipaldi again has some limited spatial awareness as he outbrakes himself in an attempt to overtake Conor Daly, spinning the Juncos Hollinger driver around, while he himself has to take the escape road. It also means he gets a second drive-through penalty, dropping him again all the way to the back,
Up front it is Palou who is keeping the gap with Power within a second, as the pit stops mean that the backmarkers are coming into the picture. This gives Palou an opportunity to pass Power into the chicane, but the Chip Ganassi driver bides his time.
Ferrucci goes to the pits in lap 32, switching to the alternate tyres. He is not the only one as Marcus Ericsson and Scott McLaughlin are among the rest of the drivers pitting. Ericsson loses a few spots when coming out of the pits, as Will Power stops the next lap, together with Romain Grosjean and Colton Herta. Palou stops in lap 34, together with Josef Newgarden, handing back the lead of the race to Power.
Grosjean has to take evasive action as Newgarden comes out of the pits, forcing Herta into the grass. This provides Ferrucci the opportunity to retake the spot from the Andretti driver.
As the field has settled after the first round of stops it is Malukas who opens up the second round of stops, dropping him to the rear. Rossi follows a little later, and he ends up a little bit further up in the standings, just in front of Lundqvist.
Power, on the alternate tyre, is extending his lead over Palou, who is on the primary tyres, as VeeKay and O’Ward are making their second pit stops. The Mexican is immediately lapped by Power, which could be a potential issue if a yellow comes out.
Of the front-runners the first to blink is Kirkwood, who has to fend off Toby Sowery for the entire outlap, but fails to do so, promoting the British rookie up one spot. Power in the meantime has to navigate through the backmarkers, but keeps the gap to Palou fairly consistent.
Just as Graham Rahal exits the pits it is Christian Rasmussen who has a big off in the chicane. Palou stops next, in an attempt to undercut Power, who covers the stop next lap around, together with Ferrucci. The young American loses his spot to Grosjean.
Herta is now the leader from Marcus Armstrong and Ericsson, as Nolan Siegel tries to overtake Sowery in the chicane, but the American rookie tries to hard and takes a detour through the grass. Herta and Ericsson stop, promoting Armstrong to the lead.
Grosjean spins in the Festival Curves, and swings himself around straight into the path of Rasmussen, causing yet another spin and a puncture for the Frenchman. The Danish rookie has a broken front wing, prompting both of the drivers to go to the pits. As a surprise to no-one it results in a drive-through penalty for Grosjean as well.
In all turmoil Armstrong has pitted and returned the lead to Power, who leads from Palou and Newgarden. Rahal overtakes Kirkwood for seventh, as Grosjean is trying to get a lap back on Siegel. A little later Ericsson overtakes Kirkwood as well, dropping the #27 Andretti driver to ninth.
Sowery has a big moment into turn 1, forcing him to take the escape road, as does Malukas. He doesn’t take the escape road correctly however, meaning he has to give up four spots as a penalty.
The final round of pitstops is opened by Malukas, Siegel and Rossi. VeeKay, Rahal and O’Ward respond a lap later. Ferrucci follows yet another lap later, together with Kirkwood and Rosenqvist. The Swede comes back ahead just in front of Rossi, but is immediately disposed of by the Arrow McLaren driver.
Herta stops in lap 86 in an attempt to undercut Newgarden, but stalls the car. McLaughlin stops at the same time and comes back just in front of Ferrucci. Team mates Power and Newgarden stop the next lap, and the gap Newgarden has with Herta is roughly the amount of time he lost with his stall.
Palou stops in lap 88. He switches to the black primary tyre and comes back out behind Power, making it a difficult task for the Catalan driver to challenge for the lead.
Following his stall Herta is penalised by having to let Fittipaldi pass him, as he shouldn’t be able to restart the car with the hybrid system. It does put him under threat of Armstrong.
Up front Power is extending his lead to about 4.5 seconds, having the race under control. The backmarkers have little to no influence on his lead, seemingly cruising to victory.
As little happens in the final 10 laps, it is Power who wins his third race of the season, from championship leader Palou. Newgarden comes home third, from Herta, Armstrong and Ericsson. McLaughlin is the lowest classified Penske driver in seventh, from polesitter Ferrucci in eighth. Rahal and Kirkwood complete the top 10.
