The IndyCar title race gets tighter as Josef Newgarden cuts Scott Dixon’s lead

Kiwi Scott Dixon remains confident of a sixth IndyCars title even as his points lead narrowed further, entering the final race later this month.

Dixon led the series by 120 points after a good start to the year, but American Josef Newgarden cut it to 32 after the last two races at Indianapolis over the weekend.

It was a missed opportunity for Dixon, who could have finished with the title before the final showdown at Labor Weekend.

And to add to the pressure, defending series champion Newgarden won the Firestone GP in St. Petersburg last year, ahead of Dixon.

“There is still a lot of hard work, as always, IndyCar comes down to the final race,” said Dixon, after finishing eighth in the second race of the weekend, where Newgarden was fourth.

“It’s good to keep leading, it’s still a good margin, it still gives us a bit of a window. He has to take most of the laps, all the bonus points, and we have to finish ninth.

“(but) they have been very good in St. Petersburg for many years, so we definitely have a lot of work to do.”

Australian Will Power won the second 75-lap Harvest GP race this weekend, and Dixon’s car suffered some damage after a bunt with Ryan Hunter-Reay. But Dixon’s team reported that he had little influence on the race.

Dixon won the IndyCar series in 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, and 2018.