Epic trans-Tasman duel deciding IndyCar title
A rich vein of form has momentum firmly on the side of Scott Dixon as the IndyCar Series draws closer to the season finale.
In the last six races, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver has averaged the highest finishing position of the field – accruing 220 points for a mean finish of fourth.
Dixon’s most recent win vaulted him to second in the standings behind Team Penske’s Australian ace Will Power, who holds a slender six point advantage.
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The Kiwi has only finished outside the top five once in the past six races, finishing fifth, first, fifth, fourth, eighth and first again.
Not far behind Dixon is IndyCar sophomore and compatriot Scott McLaughlin, who averages a 6.8 finish and 193 points across the last six races.
He’s been nearly as good as Dixon, with finishes of first, ninth, 22nd, third, fourth, and second.
Meanwhile, Power hasn’t won since Detroit but has finished on the podium in four of the past six races.
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He has a better average than McLaughlin – his finishes of third, 15th, third, second, third and 11th giving him a 6.2 par – but has fewer points, 184 all told.
Marcus Ericsson, who lies third in the standings, hasn’t had a good run lately.
He hasn’t won since his Indianapolis 500 triumph that vaulted him to the top of the standings.
While Ericsson is just 12 points away from Power, in the past six races he’s only been sixth-best on average – seeing a points lead turn to a deficit.
A wretched finish of 24th at Iowa just a day after winning at the speedway has blotted Josef Newgarden’s copybook.
He lies fourth overall in the standings and fourth on average from the past six races.
Coming into the third-to-last round of the 2022 season at World Wide Technology Raceway, the form guide is firmly in favour of Team Penske.
Newgarden edged out McLaren SP ace Pato O’Ward to the win last year while Power and McLaughlin were third and fourth respectively.
Dixon was an unlucky victim in a collision with Rinus VeeKay, which also cruelled teammate Alex Palou in the process.
After World Wide Technology Raceway, IndyCar moves to Portland International Raceway (September 5) and then the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (September 12).
INDYCAR SERIES STANDINGS TOP 10 (ROUND 14 OF 17): Will Power (450), Scott Dixon (446), Marcus Ericsson (438), Josef Newgarden (428), Alex Palou (417), Scott McLaughlin (392), Pato O’Ward (391), Alexander Rossi (330), Felix Rosenqvist (325), Colton Herta (315)
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