Dixon closes gap on leader

Scott Dixon has moved up to second place in the IndyCar championship after finishing runner-up in an incident-packed race in Nashville.

His compatriot Scott McLaughlin suffered two crashes and a medical check before coming home in 22nd position. However, he remains the leading rookie in the series and is 13th overall.

Sweden’s Marcus Ericsson overcame an early crash on the street circuit to give Chip Ganassi Racing the top two podium spots after yellow flag cautions dominated the action on August 9 (NZ time).

Dixon’s performance moved him up one place in the championship as he closed the gap on Alex Palou, who was seventh in Nashville. Palou leads the title chase by 42 points with five races left in the season. 

The Kiwi, who started second on the grid, says the race was mentally exhausting but he is happy to have improved his chances of securing a record-equalling seventh title.

“There's a ton of points on the table still,” he adds. “We will keep banging away and see what happens.”

McLaughlin qualified 23rd on the grid but had climbed up to 17th place before he was hit by Ed Jones and fell to the rear of the field.

He was then clipped by teammate Will Power at about the halfway stage and spun around, only to be hit by Dalton Kellett. The Kiwi required a medical check but was able to return to action.

Pit strategies proved crucial in the contest, which included six yellow flags and 18 laps completed under caution during the first 40 laps of the race.

Drivers’ championship

1. Alex Polau, 410 points
2. Scott Dixon, 368pts
3. Pato O’Ward, 362pts
4. Josef Newgarden, 335pts
5. Marcus Ericsson, 331pts
Also: 13. Scott McLaughlin, 206pts