Relaxed Dixon secures fifth title
Kiwi becomes first driver in 50 years to claim a fifth IndyCar championship
Scott Dixon was fully reclined, quietly watching Nascar on television with friends, as the clock inched towards the IndyCar season finale. A fifth championship was one steady Monday drive away and Dixon did not look the least bit stressed.
He needed only an uneventful day at Sonoma Raceway to win the championship and sealed it by finishing second, the same place he started, behind Ryan Hunter-Reay.
The title moved him into second in IndyCar history, two behind AJ Foyt, who won his fifth in 1967.
“I can’t believe this is actually happening,” Dixon said. “You always doubt these situations and think they are never going to happen. It’s all about the people and I’m the lucky one that gets to take it across the line.”
The 38-year-old New Zealander also won in 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2015, all with Chip Ganassi Racing.
He’s the longest-tenured driver in Ganassi history and helped the team owner cap a strong organisational weekend in which Ross Chastain won Nascar’s Xfinity Series race, Kyle Larson finished second in Nascar’s opening playoff race and Dixon gave him a 12th IndyCar championship.
“What an incredible ride it’s been with this guy,” said Ganassi, who celebrated the title the same way he did in 2015, by diving from the championship stage into the crowd assembled below.
Dixon’s task was eased when challenger Alexander Rossi hit teammate Marco Andretti seconds after the start and broke his front wing. Rossi had to pit for a new part, dropped to last in the field and the championship was pretty much decided.
Dixon held a 29-point lead over Rossi at the start of the day, and even though the race was worth double points, Rossi needed to be perfect to catch the driver dubbed “the Iceman”.
Dixon’s final margin was 57 points over Rossi, who rallied to finish seventh. Rossi ended his third season in IndyCar second in the standings.
“It was going to be a tough day to beat Scott anyway. It’s unfortunate to go out like that. I wish I could replay that a million more times,” said Rossi of his collision with Andretti.
“We have to look at 2018 and be pretty happy with it, even though we go away second and the first loser.”
As relaxed as Dixon appeared to be all day, he admitted after the race he didn’t let up in the race car after Rossi’s mishap.
The title wasn’t secure, he said, until he made it through the final round of pit stops cleanly.
“You just never know, anything can happen,” Dixon said. “We had a lot of grit. Rossi did a hell of a job, he’s been pushing so hard this year and he’s going to be a star.”
Hunter-Reay won for the 18th time and second this season.
The 37-year-old American also praised Dixon as the greatest driver of this IndyCar generation.
“It’s unthinkable what he’s accomplished,” Hunter-Reay said. “To share the track with him is awesome and to beat him is, too.”
Will Power and Simon Pagenaud finished third and fourth for Team Penske, which picked up its 500th organisational win earlier in the day when Brad Keselowski won Nascar’s opening playoff race in Las Vegas.