After polesitter Rinus VeeKay controlled the opening two-thirds of the race, the Barber contest came alive on the final round of pitstops as VeeKay, O’Ward, Scott McLaughlin and Will Power pulled in together.
VeeKay just got out ahead of O’Ward, after the Arrow McLaren SP driver delivered a great in-lap and his crew produced a perfect pitstop, and on the out-lap VeeKay flicked to the left to defend the inside and O’Ward drove around the outside at Turn 5 to claim the net lead.
