Dixon received on his document 319th consecutive begin within the collection, regardless of spinning to the tail of the sector on the opening lap in a multi-car collision at Flip 7 that concerned two of his team-mates.
After pitting on lap 5, to do away with his main compound tyres, he was in a position to cost by way of the sector on an alternate-tyred technique – whereas saving sufficient gasoline to make the end with out an additional pitstop.
Though Rahal chased him down within the last stint, Dixon held on to win by 0.4s to make sure his streak of successful a minimum of one IndyCar race in 19 seasons continues.
“He actually is nice at what he does,” stated Rahal. “That is the second he is stolen from me. July 2020 race, it was the identical ending order. Nineteen straight years with a win does not occur by luck.
“There’s no one else that is anyplace near that.”
Rahal paid tribute to his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing group for operating a “excellent” technique that was solely undone by Dixon’s brilliance and copious contemporary alternate tyre availability after a poor qualifying for the Chip Ganassi Racing star.
“We performed it excellent,” stated Rahal. “On an strange day round right here, we’d have received the race.
“Clearly, the way in which that Dixon was in a position to get the mileage, the velocity at which he was, having all of the reds [alternates], had in all probability two new units of reds and a used, so a whole lot of tyres to make use of. We weren’t fairly there.”
Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Photograph by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
Rahal’s personal tyre provide was restricted when one among his units of alternates had been deemed unusable for the race.
“I used to be fearful a bit final night time that we did not have three units of reds to make use of,” he added. “We had a blister on the left-front qualifying set. Not likely certain why. It wasn’t a flat spot or something. Sadly it made it in order that set wasn’t usable for us right this moment.
“I knew that the 2 center stints on black, I used to be going to must drive the wheels off of it simply to keep up my hole. We had been ready to try this and really pull a bit bit extra of a niche.
“Once more, Dixie, by way of that center stint, all of the stints had reds, simply blacks to reds, chasing down the most effective ever to do that, it is not a straightforward factor.
“We bought that final stint, and I knew we had been going to must make a whole lot of time. Catching him about 7/10ths a lap. Visitors got here into play.”