Scott Dixon spoils Penske party to win at Road America

Josef Newgarden, left, and Helio Castroneves, right, spray Kohler Grand Prix winner Scott Dixon, center, with champagne in the winners circle Sunday, June 25, 2017, at Elkhart Lake's Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. (Gary C. Klein/The Post-Crescent via AP) Josef Newgarden, left, and Helio Castroneves, right, spray Kohler Grand Prix winner Scott Dixon, center, with champagne in the winners circle Sunday, June 25, 2017, at Elkhart Lake's Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. (Gary C. Klein/The Post-Crescent via AP)

By Associated Press June 25, 2017 4 min read

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (AP) – Scott Dixon spoiled Team Penske’s party at Road America.

First, his Chip Ganassi Racing team had to fix a faulty fuel cell on the No. 9 Honda that provided nervous moments during warmups Sunday.

The payoff came a few hours later when Dixon held off Josef Newgarden after a restart with eight laps to go to win the IndyCar race at the rural Wisconsin road course.

“Toward the end, I thought it was a straight-up battle,” Dixon said. “I thought it was going to be tough.”

He edged Newgarden by 0.57 seconds, posting an average speed of 123.431 mph. Dixon’s first victory since Watkins Glen in September was his 41st career win, moving him within one of tying Michael Andretti for third on the list of drivers with the most IndyCar wins.