Grand Prix of Alabama - Race Report
Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR) driver Scott Dixon finished third in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.
After starting fourth, Dixon dropped two positions to sixth on Lap 2 of the 90-lap race. He stayed steady in sixth position until pitting on Lap 16 for fuel and primary tires. The No. 9 stayed out under the caution for debris on Lap 20, restarting on Lap 25 in sixth place. Dixon improved to fifth position on the restart where he stayed until pitting under the second full-course caution on Lap 24 for fuel and alternate tires, restarting in the 12th position on Lap 40. Dixon worked his way up to the ninth position on Lap 46 as green flag pit stops began, cycling out to the third position by Lap 52.
Dixon battled his way into second position on Lap 57 and inherited the lead on Lap 64 before pitting later the same lap for a set of scuffed alternate tires. By Lap 70, Dixon moved into the second position where he would stay until falling to third in the waning laps of the race after his tires went off.
With the result, Dixon holds the third position in the Verizon IndyCar Series point standings with 123 markers, 13 points behind the point leader Juan Pablo Montoya.
Notes of Interest
· Dixon led the morning warmup session.
· Dixon scored his sixth podium in as many races at Barber.
· Dixon moved from 15th to third in points in the last two races.
TCGR Quoteboard
Scott Dixon, No. 9 Target Chevrolet:
"It was definitely a tough day. It started horribly - we kind of got pushed around there at the start and just didn't get a clean line. We dropped like a rock - we bled the rear tires off on the first set and I think we were the first to stop in that situation. We knew the alternate strategy was going to come late and it came strong. It really showed just how good the Coca-Cola crew was today. They helped make up for the horrible start of the race we had. I can’t be mad at a third-place finish and the valuable points we scored today. All and all congratulations to Josef - he's a helluva driver, with a small team, and for them to get a victory is really cool to see."
