The two drivers are the only contenders left for the points title, but Scott Dixon isn’t going quietly.
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Dixon managed his race well and, when Power crashed with Charlie Kimball on lap 39, the majority of the final pit stops took place under yellow flag conditions.
Dixon won the pole Saturday with a speed of over 147 miles per hour and a record-shattering time that eclipsed the previous record by almost six seconds on the track’s new pavement.
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – The 2016 IndyCar championship has been fought out nearly exclusively between Penske Racing teammates Simon Pagenaud and Will Power.
Dixon, a native of New Zealand, finished 16.5308 seconds ahead of runner-up Josef Newgarden to win the IndyCar Grand Prix at The Glen.
Helio Castroneves finished third, rookie Conor Daly fourth and Sebastien Bourdais fifth. He led 50 of 60 laps.
Kimball, who survived the clash with Power and another that ended with Graham Rahal in the Turn 1 wall to finish sixth, was unrepentant.
Power trails leader Simon Pagenaud by 43 points with only the finale at Sonoma on September 18 remaining on the schedule. He was not permitted to return because of concussion symptoms.
Dixon won the IndyCar race at Watkins Glen during each of its first three years from 2005 to 2007. Kimball hit the left rear tire of Power’s No. 12 in the narrow section of the track at the top of the hill. He got a huge run on the outside and made contact, sending Power hard into the barrier and bringing out a caution as debris scattered all over the track.
“He can be disappointed, but if he knew I was there, he drove me into the grass”, Kimball said. We were looking really, really good.
“He passed both of them with no issue whatsoever”. “I’m not a doctor so I can’t say what’s next, but just glad he’s alright because I want to take this fight to Sonoma”. “It was tough, but we were able to fly up the field there at the end”. The race was postponed and finished last week, but IndyCar ruled that he could not rejoin that race.
The GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma takes place Sunday, Sept. 18 at Sonoma Raceway.
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In the race, the No. 9 Target auto enjoyed a similar advantage and in a change of luck compared to a couple occasions earlier in the year (notably at Toronto), the yellow flags fell Dixon’s way and he was essentially unchallenged. Once the driver returns to on-track competition, he/she is subject to subsequent evaluations as requested by the INDYCAR Medical Director.
