After starting eighth, the 43-year-old New Zealander took advantage of the race's only caution to temporarily neutralise the 85-lap contest and switched to an alternate strategy. The outcome cycled him to the lead but forced him into fuel conservation mode.
Dixon was able to fend off the Colton Herta, who was running an opposite strategy that allowed him to push for maximum pace, and win at the 11-turn, 1.968-mile street circuit by 0.9798s.
After a Race Control issue led to the race starting under caution, pole-sitter Felix Rosenqvist led the field to the green flag on lap 2.
Team Penske’s Will Power, who started second on a set of softer alternate tyres, tucked in behind Rosenqvist – who was running harder primary rubber – at the start before swinging out and making an outside pass for the lead entering Turn 1.
It only took another two laps before Newgarden, Power’s team-mate, moved up to second to give Team Penske an early 1-2 standing in the running order.
Source: Autosport