Motorsport: Lap penalty costs Dixon top-five Indy 500 place

Scott Dixon was penalised a lap in yesterday's Indianapolis 500 and finished sixth in the feature race of the Indy motor racing season.

The New Zealand driver led twice for a total of six laps and was credited with the fastest lap of the race on lap 41 with a speed of 356.05km/h in 40.6777s.

But that was little consolation to the Aucklander, because he was reprimanded for trying to protect his second place from Tony Kanaan with 25 laps to go.

"I held my position trying to hold off Kanaan but I let him by at the end as he really had a run," said Dixon.

"You don't want to make it easy for them all the time. It's just how they call it."

Dixon lost a lap, as did eventual winner Sam Hornish for another indiscretion, in this 200-lap race.

"It's disappointing because we had a good car," Dixon said.

"I was cautious for most of the race saving fuel but had the car to fight back when I needed it. We were on a different strategy from the other 10 cars and we had enough fuel to make it to the end, but it was really loose for the restart.

"Those things happen and it's part of what makes this race so tough to win."

Dixon was either second or third for most of the race but when he was overtaken by Kanaan, he gradually slid back and was holding fifth position with eight laps to go.

"It's the Indy 500 and you're not going to let people just blow by. I gave him [Kanaan] a little bit of room. I let him by in the end. I made it difficult but everybody makes it difficult.

"All we can do after today is come back next year."

Dixon's teammate Dan Wheldon was fourth.

Defending 500 champion Wheldon led for 148 laps before an improbable tyre puncture forced him to pit earlier than planned.

The 27-year-old Wheldon never regained the lead, finishing fourth - 1.2692s behind winner Hornish.

Wheldon and Dixon were consistently fast and most figured it would be a four-car race between Hornish, Helio Castroneves, Wheldon and Dixon.

Things almost went according to plan. The four fastest qualifiers led 182 of 200 laps, and only Castroneves exited early after crashing on lap 110.

"I think Scott and Dan had two of the best cars on the day, and I thought it played out pretty much like everyone thought it would play out," their boss Mike Hull said.

"It would have been a great race if it was only 170 laps."

With about 30 laps to go, Wheldon and Dixon were 1-2 and it seemed nobody could challenge them.

But that's when things got strange.

Dixon was black-flagged for blocking Kanaan on lap 175, a penalty that cost him a chance to finish in the top five.

- NZPA