Target Chip Ganassi driver Scott Dixon claimed his third IndyCar victory of the season on Saturday 27 June, winning the SunTrust Indy Challenge at the Richmond International Raceway.
The defending IndyCar champion capitalised on a pit stop midway through the race, beating pole sitter and team-mate Dario Franchitti to the finish line. It was Dixon’s second victory at the 300-lap, 225-mile circuit and his nineteenth IndyCar career victory, equalling the previous most wins record set by Sam Hornish Jr.
Franchitti currently leads the championship with 279 points from Dixon on 278. Team Penske driver Ryan Briscoe, who suffered his first DNF since July 2008 at the Nashville Superspeedway, is currently in third with 253 points.
Race winner Scott Dixon, #9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone, said:
"My Firestone tires were fantastic, super consistent, super grippy. But it was definitely tough to pass, so it was definitely at a premium to stay up front and make sure you had some good tires underneath you."
Joe Barbieri, Manager, Firestone Racing, said:
"Tire durability was key tonight, as many drivers ran long stints on their Firehawks without issue. Tony Kanaan and his Andretti Green crew paid us the extreme compliment of having the confidence to run nearly half the race on the same set of Firehawks, and the tires were still there for him at the end of the stint. By the same token, we're aware that there was not as much passing and side-by-side racing tonight as we've seen in some past Richmond races. As always, Firestone Racing will work in conjunction with the IndyCar Series and the track to make any changes possible to improve the racing here in future years."
"The defending IndyCar champion capitalised on a pit stop midway through the race, beating pole sitter and team-mate Dario Franchitti to the finish line."