Texas – Racing: Dixon Shows His Strength
Scott Dixon wins the Firestone 600 at the Texas Motor Speedway oval. The New Zealander climbs to 3rd place in the IndyCar championship after an unlucky start to the season. The Francophones did not shine.
Scott Dixon, driver of the Ganassi team, wins the daunting Texas Motor Speedway race, one of the most physically and mentally demanding ovals in IndyCar. The circuit is also considered dangerous during pack battles at speeds exceeding 350 km/h.
Dixon finishes ahead of his teammate Tony Kanaan. The latter gains points in the championship (9th place) after a series of poor results. Helio Castroneves is 3rd, ahead of his teammate at Penske; Juan Pablo Montoya, the Championship leader. The first Honda is Marco Andretti in 5th place. The American driver is one of the surprises of the first half of the season. He leads his teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2012 champion, and secures his 6th place in the championship behind his compatriot Graham Rahal, the other American surprise.
Dixon back in business
The Ganassi driver is one of the main contenders in IndyCar. This victory puts him back in the title race after a difficult start to the season. He climbs to 3rd place behind Montoya and Power. Since 2006, Dixon has consistently secured more than 2 victories each season. A three-time champion of the discipline, the New Zealander has never finished lower than 3rd place in the final championship standings over the past 8 years.
The favorites lacking success
The front-row drivers did not shine during this event. Poleman Will Power, second in the championship, finished 13th. Simon Pagenaud, second on the starting grid, held on to 11th place. Graham Rahal and Sébastien Bourdais, 5th and 7th in the championship, also did not have success. They finished in 15th and 14th places, respectively.
A speed record
Scott Dixon crossed the finish line with an average speed of 191.94 miles/hour, or 308.89 km/h. This record is due to the presence of only one yellow flag during the entire race. The Pace Car made only one appearance to allow safety teams to remove debris from the track.
4 drivers retired due to mechanical issues: Tristan Vautier, Newgarden, Hawksworth, and Carpenter, the winner of the 2014 edition. No accidents occurred during the Texas race.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Engine | Laps | Running Retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Scott Dixon | Chevrolet | 248 | Running |
| 2 | 10 | Tony Kanaan | Chevrolet | 248 | Running |
| 3 | 3 | Helio Castroneves | Chevrolet | 248 | Running |
| 4 | 2 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Chevrolet | 248 | Running |
| 5 | 27 | Marco Andretti | Honda | 248 | Running |
| 6 | 26 | Carlos Munoz | Honda | 247 | Running |
| 7 | 83 | Charlie Kimball | Chevrolet | 247 | Running |
| 8 | 5 | Ryan Briscoe | Honda | 247 | Running |
| 9 | 7 | James Jakes | Honda | 247 | Running |
| 10 | 98 | Gabby Chaves (R) | Honda | 246 | Running |
| 11 | 22 | Simon Pagenaud | Chevrolet | 246 | Running |
| 12 | 8 | Sage Karam (R) | Chevrolet | 245 | Running |
| 13 | 1 | Will Power | Chevrolet | 244 | Running |
| 14 | 11 | Sebastien Bourdais | Chevrolet | 244 | Running |
| 15 | 15 | Graham Rahal | Honda | 243 | Running |
| 16 | 14 | Takuma Sato | Honda | 243 | Running |
| 17 | 18 | Pippa Mann | Honda | 242 | Running |
| 18 | 28 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | Honda | 241 | Running |
| 19 | 4 | Stefano Coletti (R) | Chevrolet | 239 | Running |
| 20 | 19 | Tristan Vautier | Honda | 156 | Mechanical |
| 21 | 67 | Josef Newgarden | Chevrolet | 149 | Mechanical |
| 22 | 20 | Ed Carpenter | Chevrolet | 146 | Mechanical |
| 23 | 41 | Jack Hawksworth | Honda | 62 | Mechanical |
