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IndyCar News
Dixon claims third consecutive victory at Nashville Superspeedway
13/07/2008
New Zealand's Scott Dixon won his third consecutive Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday 12 July after rain ended the race 29 laps short of completion.
It was Dixon’s fourth victory of the season stretching his lead atop the IndyCar Series driver standings and the 100th IndyCar victory for the Target Chip Ganassi Racing team.
Tony Kanaan led the race when the light rain halted allowing teams to make pit stops. A decision by Dixon's team to keep him out of the track while others pitted proved successful. The Target Chip Ganassi driver led the pack when heavy rain on lap 171 prompted officials to stop the race and declare Dixon the winner.
Dan Wheldon finished the race in second, his seventh top five finish of the year, Helio Castroneves claimed third and Tony Kanaan finished in fourth.
Firestone brought a new, very durable tyre specification to Nashville to withstand the track's abrasive concrete surface. While the concrete at the Superspeedway will always create marbles, tyre wear was not an issue during the 171 lap race.
Scott Dixon, #9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing, said:
"It looks like the luck is going our way this year. Tonight, everything just worked out, and I'm happy for the championship. The Firestone Firehawks were very consistent. It's very tough on tyres here, I think it's definitely more the configuration of the track than anything else. But the Firestone tyres were fantastic, and they were definitely the least of my problems."
Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing, said:
"Scott Dixon certainly knows how to win here in Music City, as he's taking home his third Gibson Guitar trophy. For the second consecutive year, weather has played as big of a factor as anything else in the race. Nashville Superspeedway is such a challenge for Firestone Racing, but the tyre specification we brought here performed better than any we have brought here in the past. However there's still work to be done and room for improvement next year. The geometry and surface of the track contribute to its one-groove nature, and I don't think that is something that can be completely solved with tyres alone. But we will always do everything we can to contribute to the great racing for which the IndyCar Series is famous."
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