There was nothing fancy about the pass.
While Michael Andretti and Paul Tracy were locking wheels battling for the lead, Bobby Rahal simply drove by both of them to win Sunday's Detroit Grand Prix.It was the first Indy-car event on the narrow new 2.1-mile, 14-turn Bell Isle road course, a picturesque circuit in the middle of the Detroit River that makes passing hazardous duty.
The surprising Tracy, who took second place from Rahal with a quick pit stop and passed Andretti for the lead on the 38th of 77 laps, was still on top as the three leaders drove nearly nose-to-tail into lap 57.
Andretti, the pole-winner and defending series champion, made a move on Tracy midway through the lap, trying to pass him on the inside as they approached a series of ess turns.
But Tracy wouldn't budge and soon they were bumping wheels, with Andretti's left rear tire glancing off the concrete barrier.
"Both Michael and I had caught up to Paul," Rahal said. "He was really struggling for grip, you could see that. When Michael went to the inside to take him, Paul wouldn't let him by. All he did was take himself and Michael out."
But Andretti said, "When Tracy put me in the wall . . . it was my fault. He had the line and I was coming up beside him. . . . I was trying my heart out when I made a mistake. I guess I was lucky the suspension lasted as long as it did."
Meanwhile, Rahal, a two-time series champion and one of the headiest drivers in the series, took advantage of the situation to drive by both of them.
"I didn't even think about the risk," Rahal said. "I just saw an opening and you have to take any opening you get. I just tried to get the car through there as fast as I could.
"I'm 39, Michael is 29 and Paul's, what, 23. Maybe a little bit of old age was good in this case."
Raul Boesel of Brazil, who finished second, broke in, "Maybe you should say they have a lot to learn still."
Rahal led the last 21 laps, beating Boesel by 8.557 seconds.
Tracy, filling in for injured Rick Mears, was sensational for most of the race, but wound up 16th after his gearbox broke on lap 70.
Andretti, still looking for his first win of the season, barely managed to finish fourth after bumping tires with the lapped car of Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. on lap 58, then spun with a broken suspension on lap 76. Corner workers managed to get Andretti push-started and he ran slowly to the finish.
Rahal, who is co-owner of his new team with Carl Hogan, earned his second win of the season and the 22nd of his career with an average speed of 81.988 mph in a race slowed by five full-course caution flags.
Stefan Johansson of Sweden, driving his first race for Tony Bettenhausen, finished third.