Indy NXT
Dixon DNF;s at Houston, title undecided
(Houston, Texas) -- The Dayton Indy Lights Championship will be decided in the last race of the year in Fontana California on October 29, after PacWest Racing's Scott Dixon crashed out of today's penultimate round on the streets of Houston, ...
Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
(Houston, Texas) -- The Dayton Indy Lights Championship will be decided in the last race of the year in Fontana California on October 29, after PacWest Racing's Scott Dixon crashed out of today's penultimate round on the streets of Houston, Texas.
Dixon, driver of the #17 Invensys/Powerware PacWest Lights entry, was left with "nowhere to go" when he crashed into the stationary cars of Jonny Kane and Derek Higgins on lap 20 -- Australian Jason Bright joined the trio to see four of the race's leading cars eliminated early.
Kane had a mechanical problem and dumped oil all over the track before spinning into a tire barrier -- Higgins, Dixon and Bright then joined the pile-up, allegedly because no caution flags were flown to indicate a problem at that turn.
Dixon will now be left to fight out a three-way race to the championship with Dorricott Racing's Casey Mears and Townsend Bell who finished 1-2 ahead of Felipe Giaffone today. Dixon, a 20 year-old from New Zealand, now has just a four-point lead in the championship, after having a 42-point advantage just two race ago.
Tony Renna, driver of the #18 Motorola PacWest Lights car, had his own problems early in the race when he was hit in the left-hand side by Rudy Junco on lap one. Renna continued until lap 17, but was then forced to pit because a hole in his left side pod had caused both water and oil overheating.
Renna had unstrapped himself from the car, but decided to go back out after the four-car accident automatically put him in 12th place. The Motorola team worked frantically to repair the hole in the side pod and Renna rejoined the field and eventually finished 10th and in the points.
TONY RENNA -- # 18 MOTOROLA PACWEST LIGHTS -- 10th "It was not pretty, but we got some points, said Renna. "After we got hit by Junco my car started overheating, water and oil. We finally got the temperatures cooled off when I came into the pits, but after the four-car crash on lap 20 we decided to go back out and gather some points. It was a tough way to get them, but we got them."
SCOTT DIXON -- #17 INVENSYS/POWERWARE PACWEST LIGHTS -- DNF "There was oil all over the track from Kane's car and no caution flags were flying in that corner at all," said Dixon. "We did not know there was a problem and ended up skidding right through the turn and into the tires. Basically my car was not very good to begin with and we were loose all day. It is too bad that we have to go to Fontana to decide the championship, but we are up for the challenge."
TOP 12: 1: Casey Mears; 2: Townsend Bell; 3 Felipe Giaffone; 4: Geoff Boss; 5: Chris Menninga; 6: Rodolfo Lavin; 7: Luiz Diaz; 8: Rolando Quintanilla; 9: Andy Boss; 10: Tony Renna; 11: Jeff Simmons; 12: Mario Dominguez.
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1: Scott Dixon 134; 2: Townsend Bell 130; 3: Casey Mears 129; 4: Felipe Giaffone 111; 5: Jason Bright 91; 6: Tony Renna 91; 7: Jeff Simmons 80; 8: Mario Dominguez 67; 9: Chris Menninga 57; Jonny Kane 49 10.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Simmon, Kane have tough day in Houston
Next article Houston Gearbox fails kane in race
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Townsend Bell
Bell rejoins Vasser Sullivan to race Lexus in Rolex 24
IMSA
IMSA
Bell rejoins Vasser Sullivan to race Lexus in Rolex 24
Opportunity of a lifetime: A fallen Indycar star's Jaguar F1 test
Formula 1
Formula 1
Opportunity of a lifetime: A fallen Indycar star's Jaguar F1 test
Gavin, Bell to race Vasser Sullivan Lexus at Rolex 24
IMSA
IMSA
Gavin, Bell to race Vasser Sullivan Lexus at Rolex 24
Latest news
Justin Allgaier wins 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly championship as Brandon Jones wins Homestead finale
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Homestead-Miami
4 h
Justin Allgaier wins 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly championship as Brandon Jones wins Homestead finale
Andrew Patterson crashes into Homestead sand barrels, red-flags NASCAR O’Reilly finale
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Homestead-Miami
5 h
Andrew Patterson crashes into Homestead sand barrels, red-flags NASCAR O’Reilly finale
Liam Lawson rues Brazilian GP qualifying mistake despite third-place grid start
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
7 h
Liam Lawson rues Brazilian GP qualifying mistake despite third-place grid start
George Russell's Brazilian GP qualifying fury explained: "Pole was there for the taking"
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
7 h
George Russell's Brazilian GP qualifying fury explained: "Pole was there for the taking"
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe