Indycar: Scott Dixon closes gap in standings and equals record

Second place Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood, Curb-Agajanian driver Colton Herta and third place Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon. Photo / Getty Images

By Simon Kay

New Zealand’s Scott Dixon closed the gap on IndyCar leader Alex Palou with his podium finish at Toronto on Monday — but only by four points.

Palou leads with 411 points, followed by Will Power (362) and Dixon (358), with five of 17 races remaining.

Dixon’s third in Toronto at least meant he had the satisfaction of equalling the IndyCar record for most podium finishes — 141 — which he now shares with Mario Andretti.

Colton Herta earned his first win in 40 races but did so in a fashion believed to be unprecedented in IndyCar history.

The American clocked the fastest lap in all three practice sessions, won pole position and effectively led the race from start to finish. Officially he was credited with leading for 81 of the 85 laps, relinquishing the lead only during his two pit stops.

Herta’s Andretti Global teammate Kyle Kirkwood was second, with Dixon third, Palou fourth and Kiwi Marcus Armstrong fifth, his best result since a podium finish in Detroit six weeks ago.

Scott McLaughlin, IndyCar’s other Kiwi driver, was vying for fourth when he was bumped into the Turn 5 wall by Penske teammate Power with nine laps remaining.

That earned Power a penalty and sarcastic applause from McLaughlin as he waited for his teammate to come back around. McLaughlin finished the race 16th and dropped one place to sixth overall on 328 points.

IndyCar takes a four-week break during the Olympics, returning at Illinois on August 18, with four of the last five races on ovals.

● There was heartbreak for the Kiwi pair of Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans in the Formula E season’s dramatic final race in London on Monday.

Cassidy was first and Evans second heading into the weekend’s two races but both the Jaguar teammates were overtaken in the standings by German Pascal Wehrlein, who won Sunday’s race and was second on Monday.

After the Kiwis initially squabbled with each other while running first and second on Monday — “Gloves off,” said Evans at one point — Wehrlein got between them.

Cassidy’s title bid ended on Lap 29 of 37. Running third, he was overtaken by Oliver Rowland, who went on to win the race, and was then hit from behind by Maximilian Guenther. That resulted in a puncture, ending Cassidy’s race and his championship hopes.

Evans looked in control in second place but messed up his attack mode activations, which allowed Wehrlein to overtake him, and that was enough for Wehrlein to claim the crown with 198 points, six more than Evans.