Dixon eyes record-tying seventh IndyCar title after Nashville win

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug 8, (AP): Scott Dixon arrived in Nashville not really a championship favorite, but still mathematically eligible to win a record-tying seventh IndyCar title.

And even though he was stuck in the middle of a tight pack of drivers jostling for the championship, The Iceman never counted himself out of the fight.

Well, he’s now a legitimate contender.

Dixon passed Mario Andretti for second on IndyCar’s all-time wins list with a victory Sunday in the messy Music City Grand Prix - a win that moved that seventh title within his reach. The win pushed Dixon up two spots in the standings and only six points behind leader Will Power with three races remaining.

Dixon overcame a poor qualifying effort, damage to his Chip Ganassi Racing car, a crash-fest around the downtown streets of Nashville and finally a drag race against Scott McLaughlin in a two-lap push to the finish between fellow New Zealanders.

He won for the 53rd time of his career to break a tie with Andretti for second in the all-time column and now has his sights on A.J. Foyt’s record of seven IndyCar titles. Foyt is also IndyCar’s all-time winner with 67 victories.

McLaughlin, for Team Penske, finished second for a 1-2 finish against one of his heroes. The .1067-second margin of victory was the fourthclosest in IndyCar history on a road or street course.

Alex Palou, the reigning IndyCar champion, finished third as Ganassi put two drivers on the podium. Palou moved one spot in the standings to fifth as 33 points separate the title contenders. On his way to victory lane, team owner Chip Ganassi stopped to congratulate Palou, the driver he is suing for trying to leave the organization at the end of the season.

It was their first one-on-one exchange since Ganassi and Palou publicly fractured over Ganassi picking up the option on Palou for next season, but the Spaniard announced he’s leaving to join McLaren Racing. The outcome is now winding its way through the court system.

Alexander Rossi and Colton Herta both came back from one lap down to finish fourth and fifth for Andretti Autosport, while hometown driver Josef Newgarden was sixth for Penske.

Newgarden has had a rough stretch since crashing while leading at Iowa three races ago. He showed as the points leader before the crash, collapsed and hit his head after wrecking, and had to pass a battery of medical tests to be cleared to compete last weekend at Indianapolis.