HPD Trackside -- IndyCar GP Honda race report
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon scored his third podium finish in five races this season, leading the Honda effort in Saturday’s INDYCAR Grand Prix with a second-place run on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
The finish moves Dixon, who has never finished lower than fifth in 2017, to within 10 points of championship leader Simon Pagenaud as the Verizon IndyCar Series heads into this month’s Indianapolis 500. After starting fourth, Dixon gained one spot in the opening lap and continued to run in the top three through the final round of pit stops on Lap 63. He then caught and passed Helio Castroneves for second place, holding on until the checkers at the end of 85 laps.
Behind Dixon, Ryan Hunter-Reay had his best result of the season, with a third-place finish for Andretti Autosport after gaining ground with a strong run during the middle of the caution-free contest.
After also enduring a tough start to the season, Graham Rahal took advantage of a fast car while running on the “black” hard-compound primary Firestone tires to finish sixth, his best result of 2017. Dixon’s teammate, Max Chilton, matched his career-best Indy car result with a seventh-place finish, while defending Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi finished eighth.
