Josef Newgarden wins IndyCar finale but can’t deny Scott Dixon 6th title
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Scott Dixon controlled his fate and needed simply a smooth Sunday drive to win a sixth IndyCar championship.
He was a tactician as he followed Josef Newgarden around the streets of downtown St. Petersburg. So long as he kept Newgarden in his sight, Dixon would yank the crown away from the American and add another milestone to his illustrious career.
Newgarden won the season finale, using a spectacular two-car pass for the lead in a valiant effort to win a second consecutive title. Winning was not enough, though, to deny Dixon his coronation.
Dixon stealthily finished third in an easy drive to another title.
“They just shadowed us all day. It was the smart play,” said Newgarden, who admitted his shot at the title was so slim it spoiled his mood the entire weekend.
Dixon was already looking forward to the next goal: A.J. Foyt’s record seven titles.
“Six is good. Seven sounds better,“ Dixon said. “That’s obviously going to be the goal. But it’s tough, as you can see from the competition, even if you mess up just a little bit.
“Just have a smooth race, and that’s what we did. Credit to Josef, he drove a hell of a race there and put us under a lot of pressure.”
The 40-year-old New Zealander has won all six titles with Chip Ganassi Racing. Dixon has won two of the past three championships; Newgarden won his second title last year.
Newgarden tied Dixon with his series-best fourth win of the season, but Newgarden was in too large of a hole to catch his rival. Although Dixon at one time led the standings by 117 points, the final margin was a mere 16 points over Newgarden.
Dixon built his lead with three consecutive races to open the abbreviated and pandemic-disrupted schedule.
Newgarden, winner of two straight at St. Pete, went...