Its all just luck, when you get gapped and what the pack is doing at that moment. If they're going all out its over, if they're recovering there's a good shot. Your fate was in their hands no matter how good your power is.
Even being able to change a flat in under a minute, its still too much of a gap so I just consider my day done.
I've only been towed by a follow car once and it worked out. Last year at San Luis Rey I was gapped (maybe 10 seconds?) and they let some cars through (unsafely) and I had to stop. The follow truck let me draft them until I got back to the original gap and I was able to reattach easily, since the group wasn't going too fast. I never thought of the potholes! Although that's an entirely different and easier scenario than yours.
Also I 'echeloned' a bit to see ahead. I don't think that works all the time, but I didn't have to be directly behind the truck to hide from the wind, either off the bumper or directly behind their wheel.