Dixon carries momentum to Road America for IndyCar doubleheader

By:
On:
In: Racing News

The first of three scheduled doubleheaders on the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series calendar is planned for this weekend at Road America.

The third and fourth races apart of the 14-race IndyCar Series schedule are scheduled to be contested this Saturday and Sunday from Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin around the 4.048-mile circuit known as Road America.

The REV Group Grand Prix, which is traditionally run in June, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, and other races being forced to be scrapped, the Wisconsin race was moved to July 11th, with an additional race held on the 12th.

Alexander Rossi, the defending winner, won by an incredible 28-seconds last June from the outside pole position. The race, which went caution-free, saw Rossi lead 54 of the 55 laps. The lone lap Rossi failed to lead was in the midst of pit stop cycles on the 42nd lap. Entering the two-race weekend, Rossi sits 23rd in the IndyCar standings after mechanical gremlins forced Rossi laps down in the season-opening race at Texas Motor Speedway and a retirement in the GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course. He trails point leader Scott Dixon by 84-points.

Dixon, who has gone undefeated in IndyCar races so far this season, put on an as-equally impressive show as Rossi last June. Dixon, the five-time champion and forty eight-time race winner, was spun on the opening lap, and without the help of a caution flag, marched to a fifth-place finish throughout the 220-miler. So far this season, Dixon has captured the checkered flag in both events. He dominated the season-opening race from Texas and won with a strategy call in Saturday’s GMR Grand Prix thanks to a well-timed caution flag. Dixon has won at Road America once, 2017, in four starts.

Will Power won the first IndyCar Series sanctioned race at Road America in 2016. His start to 2020 has been great on paper, but poor in execution. Power struggled overall at Texas last month, despite running inside the top ten for a majority of the 300-miler, he ultimately finished 13th. In Saturday’s Grand Prix at Indianapolis, Power qualified on pole position and led the most laps, but the caution that gave the lead to Dixon, stuck Power in the back. He finished 20th, being the last car on the lead lap. As a result, he sits 15th in the standings, 73 points back.

The first race of the REV Group Grand Prix is scheduled for Saturday, July 11th at 5pm ET on NBCSN, with the second race Sunday, July 12th at 12:30pm ET on local NBC stations. The races will be covered by IMS Radio and SiriusXM.

Adam Coon
Latest posts by Adam Coon (see all)
Post Views: 70