Dixon wins his fifth IndyCar crown

Sonoma, Calif. — Scott Dixon was fully reclined, quietly watching NASCAR on television with friends, as the clock inched toward the IndyCar season finale. A fifth championship was one steady Sunday drive away and Dixon wasn't the least bit stressed.

Dixon needed only an uneventful Sunday at Sonoma Raceway to win the championship and sealed it by finishing second, the same place he started, behind Ryan Hunter-Reay. The fifth title moved him into second in IndyCar history, two behind A.J. Foyt.

"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 titles 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 organizational 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 Iceman." Dixon's final points margin was 57 points over Rossi, who finish seventh.