LEXINGTON, Ohio — Everything is right on schedule for Scott Dixon — for now.
He heads into today’s Honda Indy 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with a series-leading four wins and the IndyCar Series points lead.
That’s a step up from last year, when the New Zealander left Mid-Ohio with three straight victories but still trailed eventual champion Dario Franchitti by 24 points. Eventually, though, Dixon caught and passed Franchitti, only to see him win the title when Dixon ran out of fuel while leading half a lap from the end of the season finale at Chicagoland Speedway.
Dixon acknowledges that disappointment is never far from his mind as he chases his second series championship and first since 2003, even with Franchitti now racing in NASCAR.
Still, with six races remaining on the 2008 schedule and leads of 63 points over Mid- Ohio pole winner Helio Castroneves and 69 over Chip Ganassi teammate Dan Wheldon, Dixon insisted it’s too early to be thinking about points.
“I think for us, you still go out and try to win races,” he said Saturday after qualifying. “If you can win races, it’s the easiest way to win championships. That’s going to be our frame of mind and, when it comes to maybe the last one or the last couple of races, we’ll start thinking about the points and what we need to do.”
Saturday was Penske Racing’s day, with Castroneves, still seeking his first IndyCar title, and new teammate Ryan Briscoe taking the top two spots in qualifying. It is the first front-row sweep for Penske since Castroneves won the pole and then-teammate Sam Hornish Jr. took the outside spot at Kentucky Speedway in 2006.
They were followed by Marco Andretti, IndyCar newcomer Justin Wilson and Tony Kanaan.
Dixon will start sixth today, exactly where he started last year’s race. But Dixon moved up quickly last year when three of the drivers ahead of him, Andretti Green Racing teammates Kanaan, Danica Patrick and Andretti, were involved in a first-lap accident that eliminated Andretti and put the other two behind.
Dixon eventually wound up playing the fuel-economy game better than everyone else and led the last nine laps on the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course.
So far this season, the luck again seems to be going Dixon’s way.
Last week, on the 1.5-mile oval at Nashville, Dixon got the word too late to follow leader Kanaan into the pits, inherited the lead and had enough fuel to stay there until rain ended the race with 29 laps left.
Edwards in control
MADISON, Ill. — Carl Edwards passed Jason Leffler with 48 laps remaining and cruised to victory at the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250.
Joey Logano, an 18-year-old in just his fifth race, finished second. Jason Kelley took third, followed by Leffler and Brad Keselowski.
Edwards earned his second victory on the Nationwide circuit in 22 starts.
Footnotes.
Kyle Busch came up five spots short in his bid to make NASCAR history, and Johnny Benson took advantage, holding off Michael Annett to win the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.
Busch was attempting to become the first driver to win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series in successive starts.
• Tony Schumacher led the top fuel qualifying going into today’s eliminations for the Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals in Kent, Wash.
Schumacher clocked the quickest and fastest run in the 1,000-foot era at 3.802 seconds at 316.90 mph. Robert Hight was the top funny car qualifier at 4.056 and 304.39 mph, while Dave Connolly was the low pro stock qualifier with 6.573 at 209.49 mph.
• McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton edged Felipe Massa on the final lap to take the pole position for the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim.
Today’s races
INDY RACING LEAGUE
Honda 200
Site: Lexington, Ohio.
TV: KMGH-7, 11:30 a.m.
Track: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (permanent road course, 2.4 miles, 15 turns).
Race distance: 191.93 miles, 85 laps.
Fast facts: Former CART champion Paul Tracy will drive in Saturday’s Rexall Edmonton Indy in a car fielded by Walker Racing. The 39-year-old Tracy, winner of 31 races in CART and its later incarnation as Champ Car, found himself out of a ride when Champ Car was absorbed into the IndyCar Series in February. . . . Scott Dixon’s latest win also was the 100th overall in motorsports for Chip Ganassi Racing. . . . Ryan Hunter-Reay went from Victory Lane the previous event at Watkins Glen to 19th at Nashville after a crash. . . . The series did not compete in Ohio prior to last year.
Next race: Grand Prix of Edmonton, Saturday, Alberta.
On the Net: www.indycar.com
FORMULA ONE
German Grand Prix
Site: Hockenheim.
TV: KDVR-31, 11 a.m. tape.
Track: Hockenheimring (road course, 2.842 miles).
Race distance: 214.132 miles, 67 laps.
Fast facts: The McLaren team settled its legal dispute with Ferrari on July 11, agreeing to pay the Italian team’s court costs from the F1 spying scandal. McLaren apologized last December after Ferrari data and documents were found at its chief designer’s home, resulting in a $100 million fine for McLaren and disqualification from the 2007 constructors championship. . . . Felipe Massa surrendered sole possession of the standings lead by spinning his Ferrari five times and finishing last among the 13 drivers who completed the British Grand Prix. Robert Kubica is two points behind the leading trio. . . . Three days prior to the British race, David Coulthard announced he will retire after the season, ending a career in which he won 13 races but repeatedly fell short of the world championship. . . . Toro Rosso announced it will continue racing in 2009 despite the owner’s plan to sell the team.
Next race: Hungarian Grand Prix, Aug. 3, Budapest.
On the Net: www.formula1.com
NHRA
Schuck’s Auto Supply Nationals
Site: Kent, Wash.
TV: ESPN2, 7 p.m. tape.
Track: Pacific Raceways.
Fast facts: Tim Wilkerson will clinch a spot in the Countdown to the Championship field with just one qualifying run this weekend. Greg Anderson can seal his spot if he either qualifies 12th or higher, wins a round today or if the drivers who trail him in the standings fail to gain the maximum amount of qualifying points. . . . Tony Schumacher earned his 47th career top fuel win to move within five of Joe Amato’s career record. . . . Wilkerson eliminated John Force Racing drivers Ashley Force, Mike Neff and Robert Hight during his win at Bandimere. The fourth member, John Force, was eliminated by Neff in the first round. . . . John Force advanced to the finals at Pacific last year before his car went up in flames during the loss to Jack Beckham. . . . Allen Johnson was denied a second straight win at Pacific last year with his loss to Dave Connolly in the pro stock final.
Next event: Fram Autolite Nationals, July 27, Sonoma, Calif.
On the Net: www.nhra.com
