Dixon, who started next to polesitter Dario Franchitti, won the SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway by 0.3109 of a second over his Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate.
The victory - Dixon’s third of the season and second at Richmond - was the 19th of Dixon’s IndyCar Series career and tied Hornish for the most in series history. Dixon, driving the No. 9 entry, matched the record in his 104th race - one less than Hornish, who totaled 116 starts from 2000-2006.
Graham Rahal finished third - his best oval finish - in the No. 02 McDonald’s entry for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. Hideki Mutoh, who led the first laps of his IndyCar Series career, finished fourth in the No. 27 Formula Dream car and Andretti Green Racing teammate Danica Patrick was fifth.
Franchitti, who earned a bonus point for winning the PEAK Performance Pole Award, took the championship points lead (279-278) over Dixon. Ryan Briscoe, the points leader entering the eighth of 17 races, suffered his first DNF since July 2008 at Nashville Superspeedway and fell to 26 points behind. His Team Penske teammate, Helio Castroneves, also crashed exiting Turn 2 and is fourth with 225 points heading to Watkins Glen International, the first of three consecutive road/street races.
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Helio Castroneves’ third Indianapolis 500 victory, which he accomplished six weeks after being found non-guilty by a federal court jury of tax-evasion charges, is nominated in the “Best Moment” category.
“It’s so many things together,” said Castroneves, who celebrated with his traditional fence climb and broke into tears in Victory Circle. “It was a moment for me, a moment for the fans, a moment for the track being 100 years old. It’s certainly one moment that I’ll never forget.”
Castroneves and reigning IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon also are nominated in the “Best Driver” category along with Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and NHRA top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher.
RICHMOND, Va. - Results Saturday of the SunTrust Indy Challenge IndyCar Series event June 27 at the .75-mile Richmond International Raceway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (2) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 300, Running
2. (1) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 300, Running
3. (5) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 300, Running
4. (8) Hideki Mutoh, Dallara-Honda, 300, Running
5. (10) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 300, Running
6. (17) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 299, Running
7. (16) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 299, Running
8. (6) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 299, Running
9. (12) Robert Doornbos, Dallara-Honda, 299, Running
10. (13) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 299, Running
11. (9) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 299, Running
12. (7) E.J. Viso, Dallara-Honda, 299, Running
13. (14) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 299, Running
14. (15) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 298, Running
15. (18) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 298, Running
16. (19) Mario Moraes, Dallara-Honda, 297, Running
17. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 245, Contact
18. (11) Mike Conway, Dallara-Honda, 135, Contact
19. (4) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 26, Contact
20. (20) Jaques Lazier, Dallara-Honda, 0, Contact
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