(Photo by Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR)
Five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon (No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing PNC Bank Honda) powered away from the field on a late restart to win the Genesys 300 on Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway, adding to his growing list of career superlatives. Teammate Felix Rosenqvist (No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing NTT DATA Honda) pressed Dixon late in the race, but Rosenqvist's car wiggled on Lap 191 while passing James Hinchcliffe (No. 29 Genesys Honda) in Turn 2. Rosenqvist nearly caught his car, but it did a half-spin and hit the SAFER Barrier at the exit of Turn 2 with the left side of the car, ending his night and triggering the last of four caution periods. He was unhurt. Dixon averaged 175.201 mph and led 157 laps for the victory. It was the 47th win of Dixon's stellar career racing Indy cars leaving him just five wins short of tying Mario Andretti for second on the all-time victory list. A.J. Foyt is No. 1 with 67 victories. The race on the 1.5-mile oval was the season opener for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of racing for nearly three months. This event took place without fans as a health-and-safety precaution. "It was such a team effort," Dixon said. "Honda, the power - it was huge. I don't know what was with this PNC Bank car, but it was just so fast. Any situation we were in, we could just go for it. Huge thanks to everybody involved. Bummed the fans aren't here. Wish everybody was here to celebrate."
(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Simon Pagenaud (No. 22 Team Penske DXC Technology Chevrolet) finished second in Texas.
(Photo by Chris Jones/INDYCAR)
Reigning series champion and 2019 Texas winner Josef Newgarden, who earned the NTT P1 Award for winning the pole earlier in the day, placed third in the No. 1 Team Penske XPEL Chevrolet.
(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Scott Dixon celebrates his 47th career INDYCAR victory with Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage looking on. Dixon never was threatened on the ensuing, and final, restart on Lap 197. He ripped away from Pagenaud and Newgarden and cruised to Victory Lane, turning the fastest lap by a leader of the race - 214.107 mph - on the final circuit. The win added to the impressive list of Dixon's accomplishments as he enters his 20th season of INDYCAR competition. Dixon now has at least one victory for 16 consecutive seasons, a streak that started in 2005. (Thanks to INDYCAR Media, as always.)
(Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) won the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday. Harvick led a race-high 151 of 325 laps en route to his 51st career win. It was also his third victory at the historic track. Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) and Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) finished second and third, respectively. Truex led 62 laps, won the opening two stages of the race and kept Harvick honest. Harvick passed both JGR Toyotas to open the third stage of the race and held them at bay to win by 3.527 seconds. Busch passed Truex for second with five laps to go. Up next for the NASCAR Cup Series races is the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 on Wednesday night at Martinsville Speedway (7 p.m. ET, FS1). (Thank you to NASCAR Media as always.)