In a race defined by a battle of opposing strategies, the New Zealander demonstrated why his Ganassi team believes the six-time IndyCar champion is so special
JOEY BARNES
INDYCAR
Scott Dixon is inevitable. At least that’s how it often seems, and how it was after the 43-year-old New Zealander delivered a masterstroke performance that combined massive fuel saving with mindful defence and pace to win the Grand Prix of Long Beach. The 27-car field was divided into two groups on opposing strategies after the caution came out on lap 15 of 85 when rookie Christian Rasmussen’s Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara-Chevrolet spun and collided with the wall in Turn 4. That set up an option for race leader Will Power to head a small contingent of drivers down pitroad two laps later. The group featured Dixon, 2023 race winner Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Armstrong, among others.
In turn, Josef Newgarden, Power’s Penske team-mate, was promoted to the race lead and – after the race restarted on lap 19 – held the top spot ahead of Marcus Ericsson and Colton Herta until they pitted between laps 30 and 32. During the time Newgarden was out front, Dixon was able to move ahead of Power on lap 24, which elevated him as the leader on the alternative strategy before taking the overall lead after those ahead came in for their first pitstops.
The two opposing strategies danced around each other on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit until the building of anticipation heightened with a crescendo of drama with Dixon out front on lap 62 but then Newgarden, fresh off a pitstop four laps prior, on a furious charge. Newgarden cut a deficit of 5.3s to nearly nothing, stalking the rear wing of Dixon, who was carefully controlling the throttle to save fuel, with 13 laps to go.
Dixon continued to methodically control the pace of his Chip Ganassi Racing machine, coasting into the entry of the corners before throttling off and resisting the urge to use the push-to-pass boost that would drink up more fuel. Unable to find a route around Dixon, Newgarden remained closely behind, but the pace slowed enough that it brought the Andretti Global car of Herta and Alex Palou, Dixon’s Ganassi team-mate, into the mix for a four-car battle for the win.
The race took on a new complexion on lap 77 when Newgarden pulled close to Dixon’s gearbox entering the Turn 11 hairpin leading to the long front straight on Shoreline Drive. What originally appeared to be Newgarden setting Dixon up for a passi
