Race day dawned sunny and warm. Mary F. Hulman gave the command to start engines just before 11 a.m., and the field pulled away for the pace laps. At the green flag, Bobby Rahal got the jump from the outside of the front row, and took the lead into turn 1. Brayton settled into second, but polesitter Carter slipped back to fourth. By turn three, Mario Andretti had picked off Brayton for second, and Rahal went on to lead the first lap.