Scott Dixon cannot wait to return to the Phoenix International Raceway in 2017 after taking his thirty-ninth career Verizon IndyCar Series victory under the lights on Saturday evening in Arizona.
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver tied the legendary Al Unser on the all-time IndyCar winner list with his triumph on Saturday night, having assumed the lead on lap 95 when Team Penske duo Helio Castroneves (on lap 39) and Juan Pablo Montoya both pitted from the lead with front-right punctures.
Dixon admitted it was important to maintain position on track that was difficult to overtake, even around the backmarkers that were running on a similar pace on a lap that took around twenty seconds.
“The biggest thing was just maintaining,” revealed Dixon. “I was trying to keep pace of who was in back and front and I was just trying to figure out what we needed and try to put ourselves in the right position toward the end.
“I can’t give Team Target enough credit. They did an amazing job. The pit stops were flawless and we stretched out the fuel where we needed to and managed to put some good cars laps down early on.
“So I think it was good race and a good start for us coming back to Phoenix for the first time. Can we improve on the racing here? Absolutely. And I can’t wait to come back next year.”
