IndyCar racing returned to Watkins Glen International on Friday after a six-year hiatus, and New York’s Thunder Road didn’t disappoint as the teams practiced in earnest for the first time. He is now No. 4 on the all-time list, trailing Michael Andretti by two race wins.
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He was credited with a 20th placed finish as New Zealander Scott Dixon won the race after leading for all but 10 of the 60 laps.
“There was no catching Scott”, admitted Newgarden.
It’s been a busy summer at Watkins Glen International. He failed to pace one practice session and allowed his Ganassi Racing teammate Tony Kanaan to turn the fastest lap in the race.
He pulled away from the start and despite a series of stoppages, kept his Chip Genassi Racing vehicle in front throughout the 60 laps. We just get movement, understeer, it disconnects the car.it’s a mess. Dixon tied Montoya in points, winning the title on a tiebreaker (more wins during the season).
“There’s no real time that you get to rest – it’s a lot of fun”. “It’s our best qualifying position of the season, so we’ll take it”.
“It’s been nearly a sweep this weekend and you don’t get these too often, especially with the competition level that we have in the Verizon IndyCar Series”, he added. “I will definitely remember this one”, he said. Pagenaud had to back off to save fuel in the closing laps and lost two spots on track. First, the main protagonists got caught out by the Lap 15 yellow that worked in Dixon’s favor.
Even recent history shows Power still has a chance to win his second series championship.
Dixon went back out front on lap 36, but the moment of the race – aside from Dixon’s dominance – came three laps later when Power tangled with Kimball in the esses and ended up in the wall. If the car’s accelerometer data indicates a hit strong enough to sideline the Team Penske driver for the season finale, September 18 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, Power will sit as teammate Simon Pagenaud captures his first series title. Jeff Gordon won the pole here in 2003 for the NASCAR Cup race, was wrecked on the first turn of the race by Greg Biffle, and finished 33rd. I’ve been brought up with nice tracks, so it’s a bit of a shock to the system when you come to bumpy surfaces. “We still have mirrors”.
Franchitti, now retired from driving, shares Rahal’s belief that Indy cars belong on wide-open natural terrain road courses like The Glen. “We would have gone by him if he had given me room”.
Over the remaining quarter of the race, Dixon conserved fueled and stretched his tank, while his competitors hit pit road and made the going easy for Dixon.
He is sixth overall, more than 100 points behind French leader Simon Pagenaud. Also we didn’t really know whether the red or the black was going to be quicker, and actually there wasn’t much in it anyway. “Just glad he’s all right because I want to take this fight to Sonoma”.
It’s confirmed the championship will be won by a Team Penske driver. But that would require Pagenaud not taking the start at all.
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“Actually I have zero – they’re all hanging at the Seneca Lodge”, he confessed. We just missed it. The gap between him and Power entering the race was 28 points. He also won for the second time this season, and fourth time at The Glen. “You don’t often see it transpire like that”, Dixon said. “The thrill of watching these cars battle on our road course, combined with the unparalleled backdrop of Wine Country and the San Francisco Bay Area adds up to an wonderful weekend for fans, visitors, sponsors and everyone who follows and supports the series”.
