A Spin Turns Into a Win for Dixon at Indy
Photo by Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment
On a day when Graham Rahal felt he did everything right, it was Scott Dixon stealing the show and winning Saturday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Gallagher Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Road Course.
Rahal comfortably led 36 of the race’s 85 laps and looked like a winner. But it was a caution on lap one for a five-car incident at turn seven, including Dixon spinning harmlessly into the grass, that ultimately flipped the script.
After a few choice words, Dixon’s thoughts immediately changed to how he and the Chip Ganassi crew could take advantage of the situation.
“Yeah, we talked a lot in pre-race about kind of pitting early, getting off the maybe not-so-good tire for us, which was the black, doing it around lap four or six. Trying to get the fuel mileage to get it done. Hoping to have great faith that the red was actually going to last, and it did.
“I knew we weren't out of it at that point because if anybody tried to do the two stop, you could still win the race from that period.
“Honestly, the caution was a little longer about a lap or two maybe than we thought. That helped us where we didn't have to get crazy fuel mileage.”
Photo by Karl Zemlin/Penske Entertainment
It was a strategy move all too familiar to Rahal.
“I knew when Dixie pitted, I was like son of a... You give the guy an inch, he's going to get a mile. He's the best at saving fuel, going fast, doing the things he does.
“I did that exact strategy two years ago so I know it works.”
Off sequence with each other, Dixon traded the lead with Rahal based on pit stops, with Dixon assuming the lead for good with 21 laps remaining when Rahal made his final stop for fuel and red tires.
By then, Dixon already had an inkling his alternate strategy might be a winner.
“Probably halfway through the second-to-last stint on used tires where we were maintaining a gap. He was behind me where it pops up on my dash that he's the next car. We had a like a six-second lead. I kept looking at it, running the lap times. He wasn't gaining on us. This is crazy, this might actually work out.
“For me, the pace was not too difficult to get,” Dixon continued. “But I think we were kind of in a happy spot of having to get fuel mileage and also looking after the tires where maybe some of those guys pushed quite hard early on like I did on my last stint.
“That was my first 'aha' moment where I'm like we're definitely in a strong position here to pull that off.”
It was also when Rahal knew he was up against it.
“Dixie, through that middle stint, all the stints had reds, just blacks to reds, chasing down the best ever to do this, it's not an easy thing.”
“We got that last stint, and I knew we were going to have to make a lot of time. Catching him about 7/10ths a lap.”
Photo by Chris Jones/Penske Entertainment
But Rahal knew catching Dixon and passing him were two different things.
“I could see he wasn't sliding around a lot. He used the tires a little. Dixie is not going to just make a mistake. I knew it was going to have to be a flawless run.”
Dixon was well aware of Rahal closing the gap over the final laps.
“I definitely noticed it,” said Dixon. “I have a little gap chart thing on my (steering) wheel that I can look at. Even through sectors, see how he's gaining, which parts of the track.
“Yeah, we made a show of it. He was coming fast, man. It would have been interesting. I think once he got to us, it was going to be very tough to pass. We had similar overtake. Yeah, the 9 car would have been very wide.”
While disappointed coming up .4779-seconds short of a win, Rahal said he and the team had nothing to be ashamed of after starting from pole.
“I thought we laid it all on the line, did a great job as an organization this weekend. To get a podium in a year like this obviously feels good. To get a win would have been better, but that's the way this goes.”
The win was the 54th of Dixon’s IndyCar career, and extended his record of winning at least one race to 19 consecutive seasons. It also moved the six-time series champion into second in the standings, 101-points behind Ganassi teammate Alex Palou, with three races remaining.