Dixon Eyes IRL Championship with KY Win
Written by Allan Brewer · August 10, 2008
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon won the Meijer Indy 300 Saturday (August 9th) and moved into a nearly insurmountable lead in the race for the 2008 Indy Racing League championship with only two races remaining.
Dixon tied teammate Dan Wheldon’s 2005 championship-winning season record of six wins with the victory at Kentucky Speedway, and put Helio Castroneves (who finished second in the race using a conservative fuel strategy) in a nearly insurmountable 86-point hole going to Infineon Raceway for the next-to-last round of racing.
Motorsport.com: Scott Dixon Wins Kentucky Indy 300
Castroneves refueled on Lap 143 of 200, then tried to stretch the fuel to the end by running a slower pace and drafting at every opportunity. He inherited the race lead when the leaders made late stops, then hoped for a yellow that would let his strategy prevail.
Dixon passed Castroneves on the last lap as Helio’s tank went dry. Andretti Green Racing’s Marco Andretti finished third.
The Firestone Indy Lights Kentucky 100 was won by Panther Racing’s Dillon Battistini.
IndyProRacer.com: Dillon Battistini Wins Kentucky 100
Battistini drafted off Ana Beatriz’s front-row start to slingshot into a lead he held through most of the race, vaulting back into the competition for the Firestone Firehawk Cup in a tie for third place with Arie Luyendyk, Jr (who finished third in the race on a bum knee in his ‘road-course-seat’). James Davison was second.
Richard Antinucci remains in the lead for the FILS championship, four points to the better of rival contender Raphael Matos with three races remaining.
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