A seventh IndyCar title eluded him for the third consecutive season, however Dixon’s cost to shut out the runner-up spot with three wins within the remaining 4 rounds exhibits he stays a power to be reckoned with.
There have been query marks going into August if the 43-year-old Kiwi would endure an ultra-rare win-less 2023, one thing that hadn’t occurred since 2004. Then, he rattled off a outstanding run of victories to complete second within the championship Chip Ganassi Racing team-mate Alex Palou.
Dixon’s efficiency to shut out the yr means he has scored three wins or extra on 9 events relationship again to 2003. And rising his win complete to 56 has him inching nearer to the legendary AJ Foyt, who has probably the most all-time wins with 67.
Dixon’s efficiency in final Sunday’s Grand Prix of Monterey started with an engine change following a difficulty in morning warm-up, which dropped him from his beginning place of fifth to eleventh. Then on the opening lap, he was caught among the many carnage in Flip 2 which led to Race Management giving him a drive-through penalty.
Flip 2 chaos on opening lap at Laguna Seca
Photograph by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
All this did was enrage him because the radio chatter was stuffed with expletives, adopted by a livid cost that was executed by three well-timed pit stops that propelled him to the lead by lap 76.
He was untouchable the remainder of the way in which and led the ultimate 20 laps across the 11-turn, 2.238-mile street course to win by 7.3180s over Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin.
“All in all, nice day,” Dixon mentioned. “It is good to rebound like we did. Positively some heated moments all through the race.
“Fairly pissed off at instances. It is all the time good to complete the yr like that.”
With two of the wins coming after incidents on the primary lap, the opposite being on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Street Course final month, Dixon might solely smile and likewise point out this one, like his victory on the 1.25-mile oval in St. Louis, additionally included an engine change.
“We’re two for 2 on that,” Dixon mentioned. “We all know the candy spot now. We’ll hold doing it.”
Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Chip Ganassi, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Marcus Armstrong, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Photograph by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images
General, Laguna Seca provided up a near-perfect weekend for the group with Dixon successful, Palou ending third and formally hoisting the Astor Problem Cup, together with Marcus Armstrong, who ended up eighth, being awarded Rookie of the Yr regardless of operating a partial season.
“It means quite a bit,” Dixon mentioned. “I feel the yr that everyone had, even with Marcus [Ericsson] amassing on the primary race of the yr, to return out and win.
“I feel we positively hoped, however having a 1-2-3 within the championship was going to be tough. … It is a good yr. We have had years like this. It has been a very long time in the past.
“I do not suppose I’ve ever been a part of a scenario the place you come into the final race and you’ll’t combat actually a lot for something within the championship. We had been locked into second. Alex was locked clearly for the championship, which was fairly weird.
“All people’s stress stage was quite a bit decrease. You may all simply form of combat for the win. I feel that performed out for lots of people to observe. All people was simply going for a win as a result of all people was making an attempt a little bit of all the pieces all through the day.
“Large, enormous yr for the group.”