Starting third, Sato joined early race leader Alex Tagliani and Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti in a
1-2-3 Honda train at the front of the 25-car field, through the first round of pit stops. By half-distance in
the 75-lap race, Castroneves had joined the lead pack, while Tagliani went on to lead a race-high 49 laps.
The final round of pit stops saw Castroneves, Tagliani and Sato all running nose-to-tail, but Tagliani
ultimately faded to a fifth-place finish. Over the final laps, it was Sato challenging Castroneves several
times during every tour of the 2.5-mile temporary airport circuit. But Castoneves, with a bit more of his
“push-to-pass” options in reserve for the finish, was able to hold off Sato’s advances by just over eighttenths
of a second at the checkers.

Graham Rahal came on strong in the second half of the contest to pass both fellow Chip Ganassi Racing
driver Franchitti and Tagliani in the closing laps and finish fourth, his third top-four result of the season.
Tagliani held on for fifth, his best result of the season as the Bryan Herta Autosport team continues to
improve after a mid-season switch to Honda power.