After fending off fellow two-stoppers Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou in the opening laps, polesitter Grosjean controlled the opening stint.
But Sting Ray Robb’s Dale Coyne Racing with RWR car ground to a halt just a few laps after the first of former Formula 1 driver Grosjean’s two stops, and it also prompted the fastest three-stoppers to make their second stops before the full course caution was called and the pitlane closed.
That allowed Scott McLaughlin onto Grosjean’s tail for the restart, and while he weathered that storm, when he pitted on Lap 60, McLaughlin remained out and laid down three fast laps in clear air, before making his third stop.
The Penske driver emerged ahead but on cold tyres, and Grosjean made a superb pass on his quarry at the final turn. However, he was having to drive to a fuel number having stopped that much earlier, and so he just couldn’t shake off McLaughlin.
He kept him behind until running wide at Turn 5 on Lap 72 of the 90-lap race, with McLaughlin taking the lead and eventual win.
“Ah, it hurt, I’m gonna be honest,” said Grosjean, who has now taken three pole positions and five runner-up finishes but is still seeking his first win. “The three-stop never wins in Barber but today the pits stayed open and that gave McLaughlin the edge on the three-stop.
“I mean, look at the [other] two-stoppers, they were 20s behind. We had an incredible car and [I] drove really well, gave it 100 percent, but we just got unlucky with that yellow.
"Michael came and said, ‘Don’t get your head down, that’s one of the greatest drives I’ve ever seen,’ so what do you want to say? I gave it all. It was good with Scott, and congrats to him, he deserved the win.”
Source: Autosport