The six-time champion kept his head when many around him lost theirs, beating Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske) and his champion team-mate Alex Palou after a race punctuated by a high number caution periods caused by a series of wildly over-optimistic lunges and collisions that had a definite end-of-term feel.
Poleman Felix Rosenqvist (Arrow McLaren) led the 27-car field to green on his final start with the team, before Christian Lundgaard (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) clipped McLaughlin in the battle for second at the Andretti Hairpin, triggering a multi-car collision further back between Marcus Armstrong (Chip Ganassi Racing) and RLL duo Juri Vips and Graham Rahal that took out Penske’s Josef Newgarden – who was pinballed multiple times into the gravel.
“Wrong place, wrong time there,” said Rahal. “We hit Juri, we hit Josef – I told the medical team I’ve seen more of them than I’ve seen my wife this year.”
Dixon made a late engine change, which dropped him to 11th, but he smacked Rinus VeeKay (Ed Carpenter Racing) on the exit of Turn 2. Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti) also suffered damage.
At the restart on lap seven, Rosenqvist led Palou, Will Power (Penske), Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) and Colton Herta (Andretti Autosport, who appeared to jump the initial start but wasn’t called for it).
Palou grabbed the lead at the end of that lap, barging Rosenqvist down to third behind Power – who was the only car on alternate tyres in the top 10.
The race soon went yellow again, however, when Newgarden spun on his own into the wall on the exit of Turn 4.
At the restart on lap 12, Rosenqvist shoved his way past Power at Turn 2 and took O’Ward with him. Power clung to fourth, as Dixon and Lundgaard were pinged for contact on the opening lap and served drive-through penalties.
Herta held fifth from Romain Grosjean (Andretti), with Agustin Canapino (Juncos Hollinger Racing) up to seventh from 19th on the grid. McLaughlin recovered in 12th after his trip to the gravel and got rid of his alternate rubber.
Source: Autosport