IndyCar: Scott Dixon tops third 2018 Sonoma practice session

By Asher Fair | Sep 15, 2018

SONOMA, CA - SEPTEMBER 14: Scott Dixon of New Zealand driver of the #9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /

Scott Dixon topped the speed chart in the third and final practice session for the final race of the 2018 IndyCar season, the IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma.

Heading into qualifications for the 17th and final race of the 2018 IndyCar season, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, who currently possesses a 29-point lead in the championship standings over Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi, made sure that no driver is in a more desirable position than he is.

Dixon topped the speed chart in the third and final practice session by recording a top lap time of 77.9697 seconds (110.120 miles per hour) around the 12-turn, 2.385-mile (3.838-kilometer) Sonoma Raceway road course in Sonoma, California in his #9 Honda.

Team Penske teammates Will Power, Josef Newgarden, who topped the speed chart in the second practice session for the race, and Simon Pagenaud were the fastest three Chevrolet drivers in this practice session. They finished in second, fifth and sixth place in their #12 Chevrolet, #2 Chevrolet and #22 Chevrolet, respectively.

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Aside of Dixon, Andretti Autosport teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay, who topped the speed chart in the first practice session for the race, Alexander Rossi and Zach Veach were the fastest three Honda drivers in this practice session. They finished in third, fourth and seventh place in their #28 Honda, #27 Honda and #26 Honda, respectively.

Honda drivers took each of the five positions from eighth through 12th place in this practice session as well. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammates Takuma Sato and Graham Rahal finished in eighth and 12th in their #30 Honda and #15 Honda, respectively.

Dale Coyne Racing rookie Santino Ferrucci, Andretti Herta Autosport’s Marco Andretti and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ed Jones finished in ninth, 10th and 11th place in their #39 Honda, #98 Honda and #10 Honda, respectively.

Carlin Motorsport’s Charlie Kimball was the highest finishing non-Team Penske Chevrolet driver of the practice session. He finished in 13th place in his #23 Chevrolet.

Qualifications for the race are set to be broadcast live on IndyCar RaceControl, the IndyCar mobile app, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET this evening, and they are set to re-air tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

The race itself is scheduled to get underway at 6:40 p.m. ET tomorrow evening. This race, which is scheduled to be an 85-lap race, is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Here are the full results of the third and final practice session for the 2018 IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway.

Practice Results

1st – Scott Dixon

2nd – Will Power

3rd – Ryan Hunter-Reay

4th – Alexander Rossi

5th – Josef Newgarden

6th – Simon Pagenaud

7th – Zach Veach

8th – Takuma Sato

9th – Santino Ferrucci

10th – Marco Andretti

11th – Ed Jones

12th – Graham Rahal

13th – Charlie Kimball

14th – Spencer Pigot

15th – Jack Harvey

16th – James Hinchcliffe

17th – Jordan King

18th – Pietro Fittipaldi

19th – Carlos Munoz

20th – Max Chilton

21st – Patricio O’Ward

22nd – Colton Herta

23rd – Tony Kanaan

24th – Matheus Leist

25th – Sebastien Bourdais

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Be sure to tune in to the live broadcast of qualifications for the IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma this evening, and be sure to tune in to the live broadcast of the race itself tomorrow evening to see who will become the 2018 IndyCar champion.