Belle Isle Grand Prix 2012 Results: Reaction, Leaders and Post-Race Analysis

The Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix is one of the most difficult tracks on the IndyCar series, and it certainly lived up to its reputation on Sunday. 

Described as "wretchedly tough" and a "bumpy, twisty 2.1-mile street course" by MLive.com and Mike Brudenell of the Detroit Free Press, respectively, the track proved to be a nightmare for IndyCar drivers and fans alike.

Scott Dixon eventually claimed the checkered flag, but not before gashes in the track caused a two-hour delay.

On lap 44, a giant gash appeared on the track after some of the asphalt came undone. This caused a two-hour red flag, and race officials shortened the race from 90 to 60 laps.

When competition resumed, Dixon took control and never relinquished it. He comfortably won the race, his first victory of the year, while Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti came in second and Simon Pagenaud finished third.

Click here for full race results.

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Where: Belle Isle Park, Detroit, MI

When: Sunday, June 3, 3:30 p.m. ET

Watch: ABC

Listen: IMS Radio Network

Starting Order

1. Scott Dixon

2. Will Power

3. Alex Tagliani

4. Simon Pagenaud

5. E.J. Viso

6. Ryan Hunter-Reay

7. Graham Rahal

8. Ryan Briscoe

9. Helio Castroneves

10. Sebastien Bourdais

11. Justin Wilson

12. Takuma Sato

13. Josef Newgarden

14. James Hinchcliffe

15. Dario Franchitti

16. Mike Conway

17. Oriol Servia

18. Tony Kanaan

19. J.R. Hildebrand

20. Rubens Barichello

21. Charlie Kimball

22. Simona de Silvestro

23. Ed Carpenter

24. Marco Andretti

25. James Jakes

Drivers to Watch

Will Power

When you head into a race and you're the series points leader and sitting at the No. 2 starting position, you're certainly a driver to keep an eye on.

Laugh at his name all you want, but Power already has won three IndyCar races this young season. The native Australian took home first at the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, Long Beach and Sao Paulo Indy 300 in consecutive races.

Dario Franchitti

The one race in which Power didn't finish so well at was the Indianapolis 500, which Franchitti won. The veteran racer was quietly having a decent start to the season with one top-five finish and one top-10 before winning this year's Indy 500.

The Scottish-born Franchitti hasn't raced at this daunting track since 2007, where he placed sixth, but he certainly has the most momentum in the field coming fresh off his first win of the season.

Predicted Winner: Will Power

I think Franchitti will finish somewhere in the top 10 or 15, as he has done all season, but this track's structure makes it especially difficult to weave your way to the front of the pack.

Given that Power is starting the race from the No. 2 position, he has a great chance to stay in contention for the entirety of the race.

The fact that he sits at such a prime starting position, paired with a drive to redeem himself after a 28th-place finish at Indy, should lead to a motivated Power taking home first place today.