Dixon is red hot ahead of Road America
MILWAUKEE – After a long-waited and much-needed weekend away from the racetrack, the Verizon IndyCar Series returns to action at a track many drivers regard as their favorite road circuit on the calendar.
This Sunday, IndyCar takes the track at picturesque Road America, a 4.014mile, 14-turn permanent road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, for the Kohler Grand Prix (12:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN).
“I’m not shy on saying that Road America is probably my favorite track. I really love racing there,” reigning IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden said. “It’s a fun road course with a lot of great IndyCar fans, so what’s not to love? These cars with the new aero kit have been super exciting on road courses, and this weekend will be no different.”
Newgarden and his Penske teammates will be tasked with trying to slow down Chip Ganassi Racing star Scott Dixon, who not only returns as the defending winner at Road America but has taken the series by storm of late by winning two of the past three races. Can anyone slow him down?
We’ll find out soon. Here are five things I think going into this weekend’s Kohler Grand Prix.
Newgarden needs a good result: It’s his own fault, really. The young Team Penske superstar has been so good, so consistent throughout his career that when he struggles for a short stretch, people begin to wonder: What’s wrong with Josef Newgarden?
The short answer: There’s nothing wrong with Newgarden.
There’s no denying he’s going through a rough patch — this is the first time in three years he’s gone without a top-five finish five races in a row — but he remains in the thick of the championship hunt, just 68 points behind Dixon.
Despite his recent struggles, some of which can be attributed to poor luck, he remains top five in the series in average starting position (7.9), average finishing position (8.0), laps led (169) and laps completed (1,196 of 1,200).
And remember, post-Texas is when Newgarden began unleashing his full fury last year. Entering the race 49 points behind Dixon, he made quick work of that gap in the races to come en route to his first IndyCar championship. Following a runner-up finish at Road America, he won three of the next five races.
So while fifth in the championship hunt is likely not where Newgarden wants to be at this point in the season, he has proved more than capable of going on a blistering run to vault himself to the top of the standings.
Another dandy from Dixon? Entering last year’s Kohler Grand Prix, a Team Penske victory was a foregone conclusion. The only real question was which driver would win, as Penske drivers ran roughshod through the practice sessions and qualified 1-2-3-4. Yet despite Penske’s superior starting positions and cars, Dixon found his away around all four to spoil their party in Wisconsin.
“They looked pretty disappointed,” Dixon said with a smirk after the race, where he bypassed the Penskes using a savvy combination of fuel preservation and tire management.
That kind of wizardry is what makes him one of IndyCar’s all-time greats, and more of it could be on display this weekend. Clearly, the driver with the third-most victories (43) in IndyCar history feels right at home on the 14-turn winding road course. And he’s coming in riding a hot streak with wins in two of his past three races and five consecutive top-five finishes.
Chevrolet-Honda battle will continue to intrigue: Entering the season, Chevrolet had laid claim to six consecutive manufacturers’ titles and was looking for a seventh in 2018. Honda, however, has not made it easy, as the manufacturers’ battle has been fabulously competitive in the first half of the season. After the first nine races, Honda leads the points race 757-625 and boasts five victories to Chevrolet’s four (though Chevrolet won the crown jewel Indianapolis 500). Each has rattled off three-race winning streaks with Honda claiming the past three after the sweep of Detroit (Dixon and Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay) and Dixon’s victory in Texas.
This weekend, however, Chevrolet has a great chance to claw closer to Honda. While the power output for both has been very similar throughout the season, Chevrolet-powered machines have sported the superior top-end power, which could play to their drivers’ advantage on Road America’ long straightaways. Then again, perhaps Honda has made tweaks to help close that gap. Re- gardless of what happens, the competitive balance and unpredictability week to week have been fascinating story lines and should remain so in the second half of the season.
New face at race: 21-year-old Mexican driver Alfonso Celis Jr. will make his Verizon IndyCar Series debut in the No. 32 Juncos Racing Chevrolet. The former Force India Formula One test driver has limited American open-wheel experience, as he drove just two races for Juncos at Barber Motorsports Park in an Indy Lights race in April.
Last year, Celis finished third in the Formula V8 3.5 Series championship that was dominated by Dale Coyne Racing rookie Pietro Fittipaldi (six wins). However, Celis was never very far behind, as he won one race and made the podium in seven others to finish third in the championship.
“This is something that I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid and something that we have worked for many years to achieve,” Celis said ahead of his IndyCar debut. “We had a great test (at Road America) last week. I was able to learn a lot about the car and the strong Chevy engine.”
While Celis isn’t scheduled to return to Juncos or IndyCar again this year, he is a driver to watch — not only because of his talent but because of where he comes from. Although nothing is imminent, IndyCar still wants to race in Mexico, and having a Mexican driver in the series could be critical to helping make that happen.
Dixon will wins again: Picking against Dixon at this point just seems foolish. A guy who is known for his “slow starts” is leading the series after winning two races in the first half of the season. Still, we are now entering the time of the year when Dixon traditionally begins to put it all together. If he has yet another gear to push to this season, the rest of the paddock could be in serious trouble.
As for other contenders, expect all three Penske drivers to show well. Penske has conquered both races on road courses this season (Newgarden at Barber and Will Power in Indianapolis).