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Scott Dixon is confident he’ll be able to charge through traffic should he need to in a bid to claim a second Indianapolis 500 crown this weekend.
Dixon has been the most consistent driver at this year’s event, finishing in the top five in each session and qualifying second for Sunday’s race.
The New Zealander was second on Carb Day, the final practice session ahead of the 500-mile classic, turning 59 laps and recording a 224.646 mph (361.538 km/h) best on Friday (local time).
Chevrolet drivers had a promising day, with Arrow McLaren SP rookie Patricio O’Ward ousting Dixon on Friday, with O’Ward’s team-mate Oliver Askew in fifth.
Just one Chevrolet driver will start on the first three rows of the race – Dutch rookie Rinus VeeKay in fourth – with Honda-powered entries dominating the lead-up to the main event.
Dixon’s Honda-powered Chip Ganassi Racing entry has been one of the constants at the front of the pack at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2020.
The series leader was pleased with his race pace ahead of Sunday.
“We had to go through our front wings today just to make sure they’re all close in case we need one in the race,” Dixon said after the final practice.
“We lost some front grip, and we’re trying to see if the teammates had the same situation.
“Apart from that, the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda felt really good and really fast. It pulls up wicked fast. Hopefully that’s true when it comes to the race.”
Chasing a second Indy 500 crown, having failed to win the race since his 2008 breakthrough, Dixon praised Honda for its consistency in qualifying and race trim.
“It definitely looks like there are some good cars out there and some not so good cars, so hopefully we’re on the right end of the grid,” he said.
“I think there has always been, especially these last few years, an underlying tone of ‘it’s hard to pass,’ which it was in that camp last year. This year’s been a lot easier for us.
“I think a lot of credit goes out to HPD and Honda. We’re proud to be powered by them. They have done a lot to help that.
“But also I think we’ve made a lot of changes on the team and the car and that’s helped that, as well. It’s good to see.”
Sunday’s showpiece race will commence at 14:30 local time (04:30 AEST Monday).
