Scott Dixon has had a lot of memorable days as a five-time IndyCar champion, but there’s a good chance he will never forget what happened Sunday.
Dixon won the Detroit Grand Prix, his first victory of the year and 45th of his career, just hours after being honored by Queen Elizabeth II.
« Huge day, » Dixon said. « Definitely one I won’t forget. »
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver from New Zealand finished nearly two seconds in front of rookie Marcus Ericsson, Will Power, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi.
Power’s performance was impressive because his car stalled on Lap 4. He said that regrouping to finish on the podium « feels like a win. »
« I haven’t been satisfied with a race since Gateway [in August], » Power said, « and this is the first time I’ve been satisfied with a race [since]. »
Dixon had finished on the podium in four of the season’s first seven races. He celebrated his victory by jumping in the James Scott Memorial Fountain with his team in what has become a new tradition for race winners in Detroit.
Dixon bounced back after failing to finish a race for the first time in two years Saturday, hitting a wall after 23 laps.
« I felt like a bit of an idiot yesterday, » he said. « Today was all about redemption. »
Indianapolis 500 champion Simon Pagenaud finished 17th after colliding with Patricio O’Ward and Tony Kanaan on the opening lap.
« The guys did a great job just fixing it, » Pagenaud said. « We got back in the race and we scored six points, which could be important at the end. «
Pagenaud, who entered the weekend leading the series in points, finished sixth Saturday.
« I don’t want to sound too disappointed because I won the Indy 500, » he said.
Josef Newgarden, who won Saturday on Belle Isle, was able to return to the race following a crash with James Hinchcliffe and finished 19th in the 22-car field. Newgarden maintained the series points lead, 15 ahead of Rossi. Pagenaud is 25 points back in third.
« I can’t blame anyone, » Newgarden said. « It’s my fault. I should’ve gone left, not right. »
Felix Rosenqvist spun out late in the 70-lap race, bringing out a red flag to potentially set the stage for a dramatic finish.
Dixon refused to lose the lead.
The race resumed with four laps to go, and no one could catch Dixon’s Honda-powered car. Dixon trails just A.J. Foyt (67) and Mario Andretti (52) in IndyCar wins, and only Foyt (7) has won more championships in the open-wheel series. Dixon won for the third time on Belle Isle, tying Helio Castroneves for the most victories on the road course along the banks of the Detroit River.
Dixon took the lead midway through the race when rookie Santino Ferrucci went in for his first pit stop. Ferrucci led for 20 laps after being out front for only one lap this year, briefly leading the pack last week at the Indianapolis 500, and finished 10th.
Earlier in the day, Queen Elizabeth II announced Dixon was being given the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of his services to motorsports. He will receive the award at Buckingham Palace.
Britain’s monarch honors national and commonwealth individuals for their contribution to society in June and on New Year’s Day. Former boxing heavyweight title contender David Tua and Olympic gold-medal long jumper Yvette Williams were also honored.
« It’s definitely a huge honor and totally different to any kind of racing accolade I’ve had, » Dixon said. « I think of being very lucky and fortunate on the racing side of things. I’ve achieved a lot. But to get recognition like that, very few people do. »
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.espn.com/racing/story/_/id/26880625/no-more-bridesmaid-dixon-wins-4-podiums
