GP of Long Beach Post-Report
Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR) driver Scott Dixon claimed his first win of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. With the win, Dixon breaks a tie with Bobby Unser for sole possession of fifth on the all-time win’s list with 36, holding the distinction of being the winningest active driver.
Dixon started the 80-lap race in the third position and powered the No. 9 Target Chevrolet into second place during the opening lap of the 12-turn circuit. The No. 9 trailed behind the back bumper of the No. 3 until the first caution of the day on Lap 5 for debris. Dixon continued to run in the second position after returning to green flag conditions on the 1.968-mile street course. Pit stops began to cycle through just before the halfway point of the race allowing Dixon to make his first pit stop of the day on Lap 30. With the help of a fast four-tire change and fuel load, the No. 9 was able to gain the lead after returning to the track. Dixon paced the field until Lap 54 when the second cycle of green flag pit stops began to take place. By Lap 58, the No. 9 was once again leading the 23-car field. Dixon remained in the lead for the final 22 laps of the race and developed a two-second gap over second place by the time he finished, claiming his first win of the season.
With the result, Dixon holds the fourth position in the Verizon IndyCar Series point standings with 53 markers, 32 points behind the point leader Juan Pablo Montoya.
Notes of Interest
· This win is the 110th win for the Target Race Program.
· The win is Dixon’s 36th win in Indy car racing.
· The victory is Dixon’s first at Long Beach.
· Dixon’s last win came at the 2014 GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway.
· The win comes in Dixon’s 241st Indy car start.
· This win marks TCGR’s 98th win and CGRT’s 167th win overall.
TCGR Quoteboard
Scott Dixon, No. 9 Target Chevrolet:
"It feels amazing to get my first win here at Long Beach. It’s always been a tough track and one that I’ve had some bad luck at in the past. Team Target has had some great results here in the past and actually the more recent past with Dario, so it was nice to be able to add to that team history with today’s win. We started the weekend off really strong with some good practices and then a strong qualifying effort. It was a big weekend for Target – I think we had over 100 partners here, so it was great to be able to win in front of such a good crowd.”
Bobby Unser (previously tied with Dixon on all-time IndyCar win’s list):
“Long Beach is never an easy place to win and Scott Dixon did a great job and so did his pit crew to get him out front. Racing is a team effort and both Scott and his crew earned the win, my congratulations to them. Scott is a smart, smooth driver and once again proved it. Scott has a big, big abundance of talent and he has proven it over the years - he wins driving on any type of course he races his Indy car on. Scott wins on ovals, big and small; street courses and road courses. I remember last year he came from dead last to win at Mid-Ohio. Dixon has talent and skill and will win races for years and years to come. He is always really fun to watch, for sure. Congrats to him on earning his 36th career Indy car win.”
