In addition to securing his fifth career IndyCar championship, Scott Dixon secured his second career IndyCar road and street course championship since this championship became recognized in the 2010 season.
Lost in the excitement of Ryan Hunter-Reay’s victory in the 17th and final race of the 2018 IndyCar season, the IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma, and Scott Dixon securing his fifth career IndyCar championship in this race to move into second place behind A.J. Foyt (seven championships) on the all-time titles list was the fact that Dixon also secured the 2018 IndyCar road and street course championship.
Since the road and street course championship was first recognized in the 2010 season, the driver of the #9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda had secured one of them heading into this season, making his road and street course title this year the second of his career.
Dixon is just the second driver to win two road and street course championships. The only other driver who has done so is Will Power, who has done so five times over the course of his career.
More from IndyCar
- IndyCar: Two teams with no drivers confirmed for 2024
- IndyCar: Chip Ganassi Racing news hints Alex Palou announcement
- IndyCar: ‘Addition by subtraction’ could pay off in a big way
- Team Penske should make a bold driver signing for 2024
- IndyCar: 5 teams that still have open seats for 2024
The 38-year-old Kiwi entered the 11th and final road and street course race of the season, the 85-lap race at the 12-turn, 2.385-mile (3.838-kilometer) Sonoma Raceway road course in Sonoma, California, with a 34-point lead in the road and street course standings over Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi in second place (350 to 316).
With the IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma being a double-points paying race, all drivers who were within 104 points (100 points for a race win and a maximum of four bonus points) of Dixon’s point total of 350 heading into the race were mathematically eligible to win the road and street course championship.
Simply by competing in the race, Dixon could score no fewer than 10 points in it. As a result, all drivers who were within 94 points of his point total of 350, meaning all drivers who had scored at least 256 points, were eligible to win the road and street course championship heading into the race.
Aside of Dixon and Rossi, three other drivers were eligible to win the 2018 IndyCar road and street course championship heading into the season finale. There drivers were Hunter-Reay, who drives for Andretti Autosport, and Team Penske teammates Josef Newgarden and Will Power.
Hunter-Reay entered the race with 307 points in the 10 road and street course races that had been contested this season while Newgarden entered with 295 points and Power entered with 257 points. They trailed Dixon by 43, points, 55 points and 93 points, respectively.
Dixon scored 80 points as a result of his second place finish in the race, bringing his road and street course point total to 430. Rossi scored 52 points as a result of his seventh place finish, bringing his road and street course point total to 368.
Hunter-Reay scored 104 points as a result of the fact that he won the race after starting from the pole position (one bonus point) and leading more laps than anybody else in the field (three bonus points – one for leading at least one lap and two for leading laps than anybody else in the field), bringing his road and street course point total to 411.
Newgarden scored 49 points as a result of his eighth place finish in the race (one bonus point for leading at least lap), bringing his road and street course point total to 344. Power scored 71 points as a result of his third place finish (one bonus point for leading at least lap), bringing his road and street course point total to 328.
Congratulations to Scott Dixon on winning his second career IndyCar road and street course championship! Will he secure his third career road and street course title next year? The 2019 IndyCar season is scheduled to begin on Sunday, March 10, 2019 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. This race is the first of five road or street course races on the schedule before the first oval race of the season, and it is the first of 12 road or street course races on the entire 2019 schedule.