MADISON, Sick. — IndyCar ironman Scott Dixon capitalized on needing to make solely three pit stops and saved his championship hopes alive in profitable Sunday’s Bommarito 500.

The victory was the fifty fifth of Dixon’s profession and it got here in his record-extending 320th consecutive begin. He set the report final week.

Dixon had held the lead for 82 laps earlier than making his last pit cease on lap 196. With all the automobiles on the lead lap having to pit after he made his last cease, the 43-year-old took the checkered flag, ending greater than 22 seconds forward of second-place finisher Pato O’Ward.

Josef Newgarden began within the high spot with pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin serving a nine-position grid penalty, and led 101 of the primary 104 laps.

Nevertheless, his quest to turn out to be the primary IndyCar driver to win six consecutive races on ovals since A.J. Foyt in 1964 got here to an finish when his No. 2 Honda made contact with the wall in flip two on the 211th lap.

Newgarden had gained three consecutive races at World Extensive Expertise Raceway and 4 total on the observe.

McLaughlin earned his fifth profession IndyCar pole forward of the race however began within the No. 10 place as a consequence of his penalty. He completed fifth.

McLaughlin is one among six drivers who had been penalized for unapproved use of a fifth engine this season.

Qualifying was pushed again to Sunday morning after rain saved drivers off the observe till 6 p.m. Saturday evening.

CHASE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Dixon’s victory pulled him to inside 74 factors of Chip Ganassi Racing teammate and IndyCar chief Palou with two races remaining. Dixon is Palou’s solely challenger for the season title as Newgarden dropped to 125 factors behind Palou falling out of championship rivalry.

BAD BREAKS:

Marcus Ericsson fell behind a lap after his left rear tire fell off on pit highway after not being correctly secured throughout a pit cease on a warning on the 128th lap. Ericsson was competing in teammate Alex Palou’s backup automotive after wrecking his main automotive in a crash with Will Energy throughout Saturday evening’s observe.

PENALIZED:

Chip Ganassi Racing and factors chief Palou was assessed a nine-position beginning grid penalty for unapproved engine adjustments after Saturday’s observe. Teammates Dixon and Takuma Sato, McLaughlin, Andretti Autosport’s Kyle Kirkwood and Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Gustin Canapino had been additionally penalized for unapproved adjustments after the Gallagher Grand Prix on Aug. 12.

NEW RUBBER

Sunday’s race would be the first on an oval course to make use of the Firestone Firehawk alternate tires constructed with a softer compound to permit for extra grip at the price of faster tire put on. All drivers can be required to start out the race on the first tires and run no less than two laps on each units of tires.

BACK BEHIND THE WHEEL

Conor Daly turned within the fifteenth finest qualifying time of fifty.0200 seconds in his first race for Rahal Letterman Lanigan racing. Daly changed Jack Harvey who was launched after the Gallagher Grand Prix. Daly began three races for Meyer Shank racing filling in for an injured Simon Pagenaud after being launched by Ed Carpenter Racing after the Detroit Grand Prix.

UP NEXT

The IndyCar collection returns to motion Sunday, Sept. 3, with the Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland. Each of the ultimate two races can be held on highway programs.