The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

Indy Lights: Dixon retakes point lead after win in Chicago

1 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

LIGHT ROUNDUP - CART Dayton Indy Lights Championship
Race Report: Round 6 - Chicago Motor Speedway

CICERO, Ill. - Scott Dixon (Invensys/Powerware/PacWest Lights Lola) recaptured the Dayton Indy Lights Championship with his third win of the season Sunday at Chicago Motor Speedway. Dixon passed early race leader Casey Mears (Dorricott Racing/Sooner Trailer Lola) on lap 27 of the 97-lap sprint and was never challenged on his way to the checkered flag. Townsend Bell (DirecPC Lola) finished second to match his career-best finish set last month in Portland while Dixon's teammate Tony Renna (Motorola/PacWest Lights Lola) rebounded from a disqualification (underweight) in qualifying to finish third.

Dixon, who won earlier this year at Long Beach and Milwaukee, now leads the points race for the second time this season after coming into the weekend one point behind Jason Bright (Dorricott Racing Lola) and Mears in the championship. Dixon now has 77 points, 12 points ahead of Felipe Giaffone (Hollywood Lola) who finished fourth Sunday. Bright missed the race with a back injury suffered in a Friday practice accident while Mears earned only three points for a 10th place showing after crashing with pole-winner Chris Menninga (Mi-Jack Lola) in Turn 1 late in the race while battling for second place. Neither driver was injured although Menninga was sent to Loyola University Medical Center for precautionary x-rays and CAT Scan that were negative.

Menninga won his first career pole in Saturday's qualifying at an average speed of 142.587 mph (25.980 seconds) but outside pole-sitter Mears moved to the front at the race start to lead the first Indy Lights laps of his career. Menninga followed in second while Dixon maintained his third-place starting position.

Dixon passed Menninga for second place on lap 17 and then set his sights on Mears in front. The pair swapped the lead twice on lap 21 before Dixon passed for good on the backstraight six laps later. Menninga in turn passed Mears for second place on lap 32, but Dixon was quickly opening up to nearly a half-a-lap lead over the field. A caution flag on lap 88 for Todd Snyder (Outpost.com Lola) who was uninjured when he hit the Turn 2 wall bunched the field, but Dixon had six lapped race cars between him and the nose-to-tail train of Menninga, Mears and Bell in positions second, third and fourth. Mears made his move on Menninga three laps after the restart, but both drivers ended up in the wall, with Mears' race car coming to a stop on the nose of Menninga's machine.

Text provided by Adam Saal

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.