Six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon has put his name back in the forefront of the 2022 championship discussion, winning today’s Indy Toronto at the Exhibition Place Street Circuit.
Pole winner Colton Herta had to settle for second place behind the Chip Ganassi racer, while Felix Rosenqvist claimed the final podium position in third.
The series’ return to Canada for the first time since the pandemic began was greeted by strong crowds all weekend and a distinct buzz around the streets of Toronto. Colton Herta led the field to the green flag, but after just one lap of racing, Takuma Sato brought out the caution when he clipped the concrete wall exiting turn two.
Herta, who arrived off the back of a two-day test with the McLaren Formula 1 Team in Portimão, led away from the ensuing restart and continued to run up front until the end of his first stint on lap 18. He emerged from the pits ahead of Dixon initially, but Dixon, who pitted one lap earlier for fuel and tyres, was able to get past and took the net lead of the race, which he then never relinquished.
Another critical moment in the race came during a round of pit stops under Safety Car on lap 47. The quick work of the Chip Ganassi Racing crew in the pits helped Dixon retain his net lead over Herta and the rest of pack.
Following two more full-course cautions, Dixon inherited the lead from lap 61 after Rinus VeeKay made his final pit stop of the race. He led the field back to the green flag with 19 laps to go and made a clean getaway from the front, almost immediately building a two-second advantage.
The victory was Dixon’s first win of the 2022 season, less than two months after his latest agonising disappointment at the Indianapolis 500 in pursuit of an elusive second Borg-Warner trophy.
Dixon recorded his 52nd career IndyCar victory, which now ties him with Mario Andretti for second on the all-time career wins list. It also ends a 23-race winless drought dating back to the 2021 race meeting at Texas Motor Speedway. The victory also gives Dixon at least one IndyCar race win in each of the last 18 seasons, extending his own personal record.
And within the scope of this season, today’s win and the 53 points attached to it (including bonuses for leading the most laps, 40 out of a total of 85) has brought Dixon one step closer to a potential seventh IndyCar championship title. At the end of the race, Dixon closed to within 44 points of team mate and championship leader Marcus Ericsson, with…
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