Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver, Scott Dixon, claimed his first win of the 2009 season at the Kansas Indy 300 on Sunday 26 April. The 2008 IndyCar Series champion started from fourth on the grid but led for much of the race to obtain his 17th career win.
Dixon, who placed 16th at St. Petersburg and 15th at Long Beach, drove an error-free race heading off Brazilian pair Helio Castroneves and current series point’s leader, Tony Kanaan. A key moment for Dixon came on lap 155 of the 200 lap race where he made a clean final pit stop during the yellow flag period as the race was restarted.
Dixon’s victory on Sunday advanced the New Zealander 13 spots in the point’s standings to fourth as the series heads to next month’s 93rd Indianapolis 500.
Race winner, Scott Dixon, #10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone, said;
"I have to hand it to the Target guys, they did a fantastic job. They trimmed the car out, and we were trimmed to win. It was definitely a challenging day for Firestone, I think, just with the wind, but the tyres were fantastic - very consistent, and great grip out there. With these tyres, we were able to carry the speed that we needed to win."
Joe Barbieri, Manager, Firestone Racing, said;
"Firestone Racing is pleased with the performance of our Firestone Firehawk tyres today, especially considering the exceedingly windy conditions. We set out to bring an all-new tyre that would provide additional grip and durability compared to prior superspeedway specifications, and these tyres certainly delivered today. All the drivers had their hands full with wind gusts of over 30 mph, so the extra grip and durability were particularly appreciated under these circumstances. Congratulations to Scott Dixon for a hard-fought win and to Target Chip Ganassi Racing for their third Kansas victory in a row."
"Dixon’s victory on Sunday advanced the New Zealander 13 spots in the point’s standings to fourth as the series heads to next month’s 93rd Indianapolis 500."