IndyCar: Dixon takes Mid-Ohio pole
LEXINGTON, OHIO— Needing a strong final push to challenge for the IndyCar championship, Scott Dixon can’t ask for a much better opportunity than this.
In third place in the standings with three races remaining, Dixon will start from the front Sunday at MidOhio, the track where he has won five times in 10 starts and looks as dominant as ever this weekend.
Dixon set a track record with his pole-winning time Saturday and understands this may be the best chance he’ll get to close the gap on points leader Juan Pablo Montoya.
“It’s pretty tight around second, third, fourth, fifth, even going down to sixth I think at this point,” Dixon said.
“All of us have got to have a good run and hopefully (Montoya) doesn’t have one.”
Montoya finished last in Iowa two weekends ago after his car flew into the wall, but he still has a 42-point lead on Graham Rahal, with Dixon another six points back.
Helio Castroneves is fourth and defending champion Will Power is fifth, 55 points behind Montoya.
The season ends Aug. 30 at Sonoma, Calif.
That final race is worth double points, a format Power said he’s not a big fan of — but one that could help him this year.
“In the position that I am in, it definitely makes it easier — or gives me more of a shot,” he said. “It definitely leaves it more open.” Still, time is running out for Power. “If we don’t have a good day (Sunday), it’s pretty much over as far as the championship,” he said.
Several drivers bested the previous qualifying record of one minute, 5.347 seconds, which was set by Dario Franchitti in 1999 and matched by Gil de Ferran in 2000. Dixon’s winning lap Saturday was 1:04.5814 in his No. 9 Chevrolet.
Power qualified second and Sebastien Bourdais was third. Montoya was 10th.