Scott Dixon keeps title challenge alive, wins second race in a row at Bommarito Automotive Group 500

When you think of fuel economy in IndyCar, Scott Dixon instantly crosses most people’s minds.

For his entire 20+ year career, Dixon has been far and away the best in the business at being able to save fuel, and yet still go as fast as everybody else.

He’s had so many famous drives involving this seemingly impossible trait - look no further than the Gallagher Grand Prix at Indianapolis two weeks ago, when he spun on Lap 1, and went on to win by making one less stop than the competition.

His latest performance at Gateway Motorsports Park this past weekend can also be put up there with his very best.

Starting the race from 16th on the grid, Dixon gambled on a three-stop strategy compared to everyone else’s four, benefitted from a well-timed caution, and cruised to another fuel-economy victory at the 2023 Bommarito Automotive Group 500.

Dixon’s second win of the season was also his second in a row. He crossed the line over 22 seconds ahead of second place, and lapped all but two cars aside from himself.

With the 55th win of his career, the New Zealander now sits second in the championship behind teammate Alex Palou, albeit still 70 points behind.

Finishing second was Pato O’Ward, who ran in the top five all day long for Arrow McLaren. He had a race-long battle with Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden, with the pair even making contact a few times, before the pole-sitter crashed out of the race on the exit of Turn 2 in the dirty air of a lapped car. 

Newgarden looked set to win for a fourth time at Gateway, and crucially, become the first driver ever to win every oval race in the same season before the incident. The subsequent 25th place finish knocked him out of the championship fight.

Rounding out the podium was David Malukas, who scored the second podium of his IndyCar career, both of which have now come at Gateway. He was followed home by Alexander Rossi in P4, Scott McLaughlin in P5, and Colton Herta in P6.

Herta ran in second behind Newgarden for much of the opening stages, before he fell further back with what he described as a “loose race car.”

Palou finished seventh for what is remarkably his best career finish in St. Louis to retain his massive championship lead. He finished ahead of Felix Rosenqvist in eighth who made it a triple McLaren top ten, Will Power in ninth, and Marcus Ericsson in tenth.

Next weekend, the NTT IndyCar Series heads to the Pacific North West to Portland International Raceway for the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland.

Should Palou finish ahead of his teammate Dixon, he will wrap up his second IndyCar championship in three seasons.