Dixon claims third IndyCar Championship

Kiwi Scott Dixon survived a hectic finale to the IndyCar Championship to clinch his third title at the Auto Club Speedway in California.

Dixon avoided a race littered with accidents and mechanical failures to win his third IndyCar title for the Target Chip Ganassi team.

The Brisbane-born New Zealander brought home his #9 machine in fifth place with his main contender Helio Castroneves falling short by 27 points and finishing in sixth.

Castroneves’ Penske team-mate Will Power won the race from Ed Carpenter with Tony Kaanan third after 250 laps where only nine of the 25 starters made it to the finish.

“It was a crazy day. We had to work on the car a fair bit through the race. We had to work on strategy and the car and some overheating problems towards the end,” Dixon said.

Castroneves made a blinding start to challenge the front runners after starting from 12th and had the advantage over Dixon until just after the midway point.

The Penske crew made some uncharacteristic mistakes late in the race, calling Castroneves in unaware the pits were closed.

Dixon too added to the theatre when he came in for an unscheduled stop after his Honda-powered Dallara began overheating with his crew shovelling out debris from the cooling ducts by the hand.

The 33-year-old rejoined the battle and in the end his 25-point advantage going into the race proved the trump card.

Castroneves remains without a championship title despite conquering the biggest prize in American open-wheel racing, the Indy 500 three times.

Power declared he was given extra motivation following a comment Carpenter made in the US press where he said ‘Power did what everyone expected in this race last year – crash.’

That crash famously cost Power the championship as he saw Ryan Hunter-Reay, who was the last of the finishers today, claim the title.

Justin Wilson was taken to hospital and was diagnosed with a fractured pelvis and a small pulmonary contusion after a huge shunt on lap 111 which began when his right tyre rode one of the seams on the track, causing him to spin and drew five other cars into the accident.

Tristan Vautier was left with little option and slammed hard into Wilson’s sidepod  while Oriol Servia was lucky to escape injury after being pancaked into the outside wall.

IndyCar’s Dr. Michael Olinger said:  “Justin Wilson has non-operable pelvic fractures and a small pulmonary contusion. He will be kept overnight at Arrowhead Regional Medical Centre for further observation.”

For Dixon the title adds to the others he won in 2003, his first year with Chip Ganassi, and in 2008 with the latest Championship giving the Ganassi outfit its 10th title.

See below for full results

Final Championship standings