Scott Dixon proved once again why he is one of the most cunning and consistent drivers in the NTT IndyCar Series. In Sunday (July 6) afternoon’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the six-time series champion pulled off a brilliant fuel-saving, two-stop strategy that allowed him to steal the win from his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Alex Palou.
It wasn’t the fastest car that won. It was the smartest driver.
Palou entered the weekend as the heavy favorite. He showed strong pace in practice and qualified on pole and once the green flag dropped, he looked untouchable. The No. 10 car led the majority of the race. Eventually, Palou would have his lead stretched to a comfortable margin, and it seemed the rest of the field was simply racing for second.
While Palou committed to a traditional three-stop strategy, Dixon took a different path. Starting on the harder Firestone Primary compound tires, Dixon extended his first stint and pitted on lap 30. He switched to the softer Alternate tires for the middle phase of the race, then returned to the Primaries after his final stop on lap 61. From that point on, it became a game of fuel mileage.
Palou, meanwhile, made his first stop on lap 27, switched to Primaries, and stayed on that compound through his second stop on lap 56. He made his final stop on lap 72, taking on fresh Alternates and going flat-out to the finish. That gave him more grip and pace in the final stint, but it also left him with traffic to navigate and a mistake he could not afford to make.
And yet, that mistake came.
With just under 10 laps to go, Palou ran wide through turn 9. Although it was a minor mistake, it created sufficient space for Dixon to overtake. Once in clean air, the veteran New Zealander did what he has done so many times in his career: he hit his marks, saved fuel without sacrificing pace and managed his tires to perfection.
Palou tried to recover. He closed the gap, but it was too late. Dixon crossed the finish line first, completing a drive that was as much about mental discipline as it was about race pace.
“It was definitely a tough race,” Dixon said. “We had fantastic cars. But just so much fun to try and pull off what we did and do it with what we had was fantastic.
“They were supposed to (remove downforce) from the front wing on the last stop. I just had to look at the corner, and the car was going to turn. I was just hoping the rear tires were going to hold on.”
This was Dixon’s 59th IndyCar win and his first of the season. More importantly, it was a reminder that even though his teammate is racking up wins, he is still capable of going toe-to-toe with the best and coming out on top.
Palou, who remains the points leader, was visibly frustrated after the race. He admitted the mistake in turn 9 cost him the victory.
“Just a stupid mistake, honestly,” Palou said. “A mistake on my part. The car was amazing all weekend, all race. I just lost it a little bit on (corner) entry and really couldn’t get power going on.
“Nobody to blame but me. Just got a bit wide on entry and lost it completely.”
The result, while frustrating for Palou, saw an extension to his point lead over Kyle Kirkwood.
For now, though, it was Dixon’s day. In a race that was all about precision, patience, and execution, nobody did it better.
