Telitz ties championship lead with fifth win

Although O’Ward started alongside Telitz on the front row, they had differing fortunes when the green flag dropped, Telitz sprinting out to a healthy lead, and O’Ward dropping to fifth.

The Mexican passed Juncos Racing’s Will Owen and Jake Parsons on Laps 2 and 3 respectively, but couldn’t pass Nico Jamin of Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing until Lap 7.

At this point, Telitz had a 5.2sec lead, but if anyone was licking their chops anticipating O’Ward charging onto his teammate’s tail, they were to be disappointed.

O’Ward had no answer to Telitz’s pace, regularly losing three tenths to his teammate each lap so that the lead got as high as 7.5sec. Over the closing laps Telitz paid out the line, and passed the checkers still four seconds ahead.

Jamin crossed the line third, 12sec behind after 34 laps, after a drive in which he could have done nothing better and took his third consecutive podium.

Behind, him Juncos pair Parsons and Owen ran fourth and fifth until lap 13, at which point Owen’s constant pressure paid off and he found his way past his teammate to take fourth. Thereafter he had a lonely race – 9sec behind Jamin, 8sec ahead of Parsons.

And so, remarkably, the Pelfrey teammates are tied at the top of the championship, 297 points apiece, although O’Ward has one more victory, 6-5. But after winning the double-headers at Road America and here in Toronto, there’s no question the psychological momentum lies with Telitz.