The drought is finally over for Scott Dixon.
Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Dixon secured his first victory since May 2021 at the Texas Motor Speedway, a 23-race period, the second longest winless streak of his illustrious career, in capture the Honda Indy Toronto on Sunday. Dixon drove his PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda No. 9 to a .8106 second victory over Colton Herta at No. 26 Gainbridge Honda.
The win was also the 52nd of Dixon’s career, tying him with legend Mario Andretti at number 2 on the all-time list of all-time INDYCAR SERIES victories. AJ Foyt leads with 67 wins. The fourth victory of Dixon’s career in Toronto extended his record to 18 consecutive INDYCAR SERIES seasons with at least one victory, and he has also won a career in a record 20 seasons in total.
SEE: Results of the race Highlights of the race
“There ended a streak, which is fantastic,” Dixon said. “Very happy for the team. A crazy year for 9. Bank PNC No. 9 returns to the circle of winners. It feels so good.
“To be close to Mario, every time they ask me these questions, I am very grateful that we still have AJ and him in the pits. We can see them; we can talk to them. It’s just fantastic. It’s huge, man. I feel very lucky to be part of this group. “
Felix Rosenqvist finished third in the Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet No. 7 to secure his first podium since his only victory in the INDYCAR SERIES of his July 2020 race at Road America.
Graham Rahal finished fourth best of the season in the Honda No. 15 at United Rentals, while NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship leader Marcus Ericsson finished fifth in the Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda No. 8.
Ericsson extended its lead by 20 to 35 points over Will Power, second in the series standings. Power finished 15th after starting 16th at No. 12 on the Verizon Penske Chevrolet team.
Dixon is fifth in the standings, 44 points behind teammate Chip Ganassi Racing Ericsson. Dixon would tie Foyt as the all-time winner of the INDYCAR SERIES history championship with a seventh title.
“Hopefully we’re looking for the title now,” Dixon said. “I hope this is the start of the race. I know the team definitely deserves it.”
Dixon, who started second, used a cunning strategy from his box early in the race to take the lead for the first time on lap 32 of the 85-lap race.
Dixon chased NTT P1 award winner Colton Herta during the first 17 laps around the 11-lap time circuit and 1,786 miles around the Exhibition Place. Ganassi’s team asked Dixon for fuel and to change Firestone’s alternative “red” tires to the primary “black” tires on lap 17.
This move caused Andretti Autosport to call Herta into the pits for an identical tire change on lap 18, and Dixon, with hot primary tires, overtook Herta and her cold primary tires on the track during the lap outside. ‘Herta after the pit stop. That overtaking maneuver proved decisive, and Dixon drove forward on lap 32 when Pato O’Ward relinquished the lead after finally making his first pit stop with the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.
“We struggled a bit with the Reds,” Dixon said of Firestone’s alternative tires. “We made some adjustments after this morning (based) on some of the different circuits we went to throughout the year. We had struggled with understeer, and today it definitely hasn’t been like that. It was a hard road, man. “
The race was remarkably clean during the first 44 laps, with only one precaution for two laps in the first laps after the contact damaged Takuma Sato’s 51st Deloitte Honda. But the treacherous and rugged circuit with its relentless walls generated three periods of caution between laps 45 and 60, giving Herta and others a chance to jump Dixon on a restart.
But Dixon stood firm and took the lead forever cautiously on lap 61 when an out-of-sequence Rinus VeeKay clashed from the front at No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team with BitNile Chevrolet. Dixon led a maximum of 40 of the 85 laps, with VeeKay second with 18 laps ahead.
Herta was unable to overtake Dixon in the final restart of the race on lap 66. Then Herta focused on her mirrors and resisted intense pressure from behind Rosenqvist, beating the Swede by .5384 per second. second to arrival.
“Felix was very fast, and I’m glad I was able to keep him behind us,” Herta said. “It seemed like a few more laps and he was going to catch us. We struggled a bit with the wear and tear of the tires in the end, but other than that, our car was amazing. “
Dixon will share $ 10,000 with his team and a charity of his choice for victory as part of the PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge.
The crucial four-race NTT INDYCAR SERIES race in four weeks continues with the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend this Friday through Sunday at Iowa Speedway, with a double header in the .875-mile oval. The Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash is scheduled for 4:00 pm (ET) Saturday (NBC / INDYCAR Radio Network), with the Hy- Vee Health to Farmers 300 presented by Google at 3:00 pm (ET) Sunday (NBC / INDYCAR). Radio network).