Justin Wilson was making headway midway through the fast and furious Firestone 550 on the 1.5-mile, high-banked Texas Motor Speedway oval on June 9, 2012, after starting 17th in the Dale Coyne Racing car.

In fact, Wilson overtook James Hinchcliffe for second on Lap 109 and then moved past Scott Dixon for first on Lap 117. He relinquished the point on a Lap 125 pit stop, but never drifted lower than eighth through the next 70 laps.

When Graham Rahal took the lead with a strong pass of Ryan Briscoe on Lap 200 of 228, Wilson also got around Helio Castroneves for third. He overtook Briscoe for second on Lap 216 and the chase to the finish was on.

Click it: Firestone 550 entrant list

“I could see I was catching (Rahal) and the spotter saying, ‘Come on, you’re getting there,’ ’’ Wilson said. “You get toward the end of the race you’re pushing as hard as you can, but at the same time you’re trying to balance that aggression, because if you slide that car a little too much you’re going to lose that grip and you’re going to pay for that for the next five laps.

“Even with five laps to go I’m pushing it but trying not to slip the car at any time. It was just a fine balance. I thought, ‘At this rate I’m going to get to his rear bumper at the finish line. I don’t think I’m going to pass him but I think I’m going to get there.’ ”

Patience was Wilson’s ally in the closing laps. Race results

“Five laps to go I saw him get wide at the exit of Turn 4. Next lap, I thought, ‘He’s hit the wall. No he hasn’t. That’s just the line he’s taken.’ Next lap, “It’s definitely the line.’ And then when he hit it, ‘Has he?’ There was that disbelief and then trying not to get caught up with him in Turn 1 and keep my line to the end," he said. " It was an interesting race.”

Rahal’s car bounced back onto the track and kept going, albeit slower, and Wilson charged past to snap a 46-race winless streak dating to Watkins Glen in 2009. He was the 18th different winner in the 24 IndyCar races at Texas Motor Speedway.

Wilson, who charged from 14th starting position to finish fifth in the Indianapolis 500 on May 26, enters the Firestone 550 on June 8 (8:30 p.m. ET on ABC) seventh in the championship standings following third- and 22nd-place (caught up in crash) finishes in the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans on June 1-2.

An alteration to the aerodynamic setup of the cars will produce slightly less drag, which likely will increase lap speed a few mph, and the Firestone Firehawk tires will have a new compound and left-side construction designed to give the cars slightly more grip.

“Obviously, I had a lot of fun at Texas Motor Speedway last year with the new (chassis-engine) package we had,” Wilson said. “You’re no longer just flat out so we are racing and trying to pass each other. We’ve had a good start to this season. We’ve been able to execute a little bit more and get a few better finishes.

“The rules (for Texas) have changed slightly. We’ll take it as it comes. I think we’re strong and hopefully we’ll be strong again in Texas.”

Justin Wilson leads Dario Franchitti at Texas