Kiwi racing sensation Scott Dixon has won a sixth career IndyCar title, after finishing third in the season finale on the streets of downtown St Petersburg, to move one win shy of American great AJ Foyt. Video / NBC / Sky Sport / @IndyCaronNBC
As it happened: Kiwi Scott Dixon has won his sixth IndyCar title after a third place in the season finale at St Petersburg, Florida.
10.06am: To recap - American Josef Newgarden took over the lead on lap 80 and won the Firestone GP in Florida with Dixon finishing third, behind Pato O' Ward.
A ninth finish guaranteed Dixon his sixth IndyCar series title whatever Newgarden did...the race was chaotic with rubber on the track, plenty of crashes, and a burst of rain.
But Dixon avoided any trouble in a superb drive.
Kiwi Supercars supremo Scott McLaughlin, in his first IndyCar drive, was one of five drivers to pull out after tangling on a corner.
But the late season performance of Josef Newgarden, and the rise of drivers like young Pato O' Ward, also shows how tough it will be to carry on his winning ways.
Dixon led the series by 117 points but that was down to 32 points by the final race.
But for now it is time to celebrate another fantastic mark in Scott Dixon's career.
9.52am: Dixon won the 2020 series by 16 points from Josef Newgarden.
Dixon said: "We had a lot of changing of the guard off-season. I can't thank everybody enough...so proud to be powered by Honda...they nailed it. Now we're going to have a beer."
Dixon punched the air in triumph as he emerged from the car and immediately donned a face mask. He then kissed his wife Emma, who also had a face mask on as required by the course.
9.49am: Scott Dixon: "Six is good...seven sounds better. That's obviously going to be the aim."
Dixon on his desire to equal AJ Foyt's record of seven series victories.
9.44am: Scott Dixon thanks his team from the car and wins immediate praise for being a "gracious champion" - his sixth IndyCar series win leaves him one behind the legendary AJ Foyt.
And some believe the 40-year-old Dixon could race for another two decades.
Josef Newgarden won the race and will finish the series in second place.
Dixon doing donut burnouts in celebration.
9.41am: Scott Dixon wins his sixth IndyCar title!
9.39am: Lap 98 of 100: Newgarden charging towards victory - just recorded his fastest lap. But Dixon in third and only a bizarre disaster will prevent him from winning the series for 2020.
9.36am: Lap 95 of 100: Scott Dixon now five laps from winning his sixth IndyCar series title...a crazy race to complete a crazy Covid-19 affected year.
9.34am: "It's been a wild and crazy race...it seems like anything could happen." But the main picture is this - Scott Dixon is close to his sixth title.
"Dixon is in rarefied air," the race callers exclaim.
AJ Foyt has the most series wins with seven, and Kiwi Dixon is second on five, about to be six (fingers crossed).
9.31am: Lap 90 of 100: Newgarden has his hands full with O'Ward on the chase. O'Ward desperate for maiden win which will give him third place in the 2020 IndyCar series.
Dixon still happily placed in third.
9.28am: Great news for Dixon, he's in a podium position. Currently third. Things fall his way. Meanwhile, young Mexican Pato O'Ward is putting leader Newgarden under all sorts of pressure.
Newgarden has to win to have any chance of overhauling series leader Dixon, so he must take any risk needed to keep O'Ward at bay. The race within a race seems to be falling Dixon's way - he is close to his sixth title.
9.25am: Lap 84 of 100: Dixon knows if he can see Newgarden he's good - the latest verdict. And that's exactly what Dixon has done all race.
9.23am: There have been so many stoppages that the pace car has run out of fuel..."everything which could happen has happened in this race", they reckon.
Scott McLaughlin will be watching and thinking he can't wait to be a full time part of this next year.
9.20am: Lap 79 of 100: This is amazing - Newgarden leads! He's taken the lead, putting the pressure on Dixon, and there is a bit of contact involving cars near the Kiwi.
This is a dramatic end to the season, and a bit too dramatic from Dixon's point of view.
The great Kiwi driver has avoided all trouble and is in third. But it was a brilliant bit of timing from Newgarden to overtake Herta.
Colton Herta drives into turn one during the IndyCar race in St. Petersburg, Florida. Photo / AP
9.16am: Lap 78 of 100: It's raining pretty hard, making for a greasy track, which is already covered in bits of rubber. The name of the game is stay on the track and avoid the pits for now. There is a big black cloud over the circuit. Part of the temporary track includes an airport runway with lots of white paint which will get skiddy when wet.
9.12am: And now it is raining. Who is making this stuff up...?
9.10am: This is a crazy race! Hinchcliffe skidded backwards off the track and then seemed to drive into the path of Jack Harvey when re-entering the race.
9.09am: Racing starts again with lots of action at the front. Colton Herta leads James Hinchcliffe. They seemed to touch, problems for Hinchcliffe car. He is dropping back.
9.06am: "Dixon must be rolling his eyes inside that helmet with yet another re-start" - commentator.
Adding to the problem, there are loads of little rubber "marbles" all over the track, coming off the tyres.
9.04am: Lap 71 of 100: Longtime leader Rossi's demise is not good news for Dixon because it further opens the way for a Newgarden victory. Dixon still in the box seat although commentators reckon it puts him "in the danger zone" should he strike any trouble.
9am: Yet more drama...Alexander Rossi, the leader for 61 laps, hits the wall at a chicane and he's parked across the track. He pinged from one side to the other. That's his day well and truly over.
8.58am: Lap 68 of 100: Pit stop time. And the series contenders emerge with Newgarden just in front of Dixon. No dramas for the Kiwi.
8.54am: Lap 65 of 100: Ouch. Herta locks up and goes down a wrong path, allowing Newgarden to move into third.
Scott Dixon is on the hunt for a sixth IndyCar title. Photo / Photosport
8.51am: Lap 61 of 100: Alexander Rossi leads, but that's not the main event - Newgarden 4th, Dixon 6th. The Kiwi doing everything he needs to keep Newgarden at bay and win a sixth IndyCar title, but this race has already had plenty of drama, so nothing feels really secure.
8.44am: Lap 56 of 100: Newgarden 4th, Dixon 6th...less than a second behind. Dixon winning loads of praise for the way he protected his car in a tricky situation.
8.41am: Scott McLaughlin says he tried to make a move on Andretti and had a rear lock: "Best day of my life apart from my wedding. Awesome".
He must like IndyCar. Meanwhile, Scott Dixon survives a bit of a skirmish.
8.39am: The constant re-starts causing technical issues - including bits of rubber "marbles" from tyres on the track. Commentators describing the race as "total chaos".
8.36am: Lap 50 of 100: Bit of a smash up for now, race under caution again.
8.31am: Scott McLaughlin crashes. Locked and spun out with Rinus Veekay on a corner. The race is over for Kiwi Supercars champ McLaughlin.
8.29am: Huh? Conor Daly hits something while the race is under caution. Appeared to lose it while warming up the tyres and clipped a wall.
Championship contenders Scott Dixon (left) and Josef Newgarden. Photo / Photosport
8.28am: While it all looks good for Dixon, his race strategist Mike Hull seemed pretty nervous when interviewed. So near but yet so far form series victory.
8.26am: Lap 44 of 100: Newgarden 4th, Dixon 9th. Cars under caution. Ferrucci car lifted off the track.
8.20am: Race resumes after yellow flag... Santino Ferrucci has ploughed into a wall...joins Power in retiring from race.
8.15am: Lap 38 of 100: Replay shows Power had a decent brush with the concrete...
8.14am: Will Power out of the race...seemed to brush wall, he was causing the mid-field jam, so his departure should be good for Dixon. Aussie Power looks furious...from pole position to an early departure.
8.12am: Lap 34 of 100: Leader Will Power into the pits, a few problems for Dixon. Newgarden has pushed up to fifth, Dixon stuck in a bit of a jam at 11th. Newgarden has the break on Dixon he was after, but still faces an uphill battle. Dixon trying to overtake.
8.08am: Lap 29 of 100: Dixon changes tyres a lap after Newgarden, good pit stop for the Kiwi. Commentators believe the tyre situation now in Dixon's favour. Newgarden on the quicker - but quicker-wearing - red tyres. Dixon on the standard blacks.
8am: Scott McLaughlin second last...will be very interesting to hear what the Supercars supremo felt about his first IndyCar race.
Scott Dixon is on the hunt for his sixth IndyCar title. Photo / Getty Images
7.53am: Lap 18 of 100: The race within a race still going very well for Scott Dixon, he is a couple of places and seconds behind Newgarden, both well behind leader Alexander Rossi. Dixon trying to emulate the feat of AJ Foyt, who scored his sixth title 45 years ago - Foyt went on to win a seventh.
Scott Dixon on winning titles: "All championships are like kids...you love them all but they are all very different."
7.48am:Lap 12 of 100: Newgarden still 8th, Dixon still 11th. Which is all good for the Kiwi as he chases his sixth title. Scott McLaughlin has swapped tyres...looks like he is sharpening his learning curve.
Scott McLaughlin has had a tough start. Photo / Photosport
7.42am: Newgarden 8th, Dixon 11th, as they were at the start. Even if Newgarden wins, a 10th placing will do it for Dixon. But Dixon has never won here. Power has trouble at the front, goes wide on a hairpin and he drops back to fourth.
Early leader Power has car issues, perhaps braking, American Alexander Rossi leads, Honda teammates Herta and Hinchcliffe next.
Another Kiwi, Supercars star Scott McLaughlin is in the pits, listed last.
7.35am: The action starts...Will Power from pole position starts cleanly. Dixon tucked in behind Newgarden which, basically, is all he has to do for the entire race.
7.32am: A hot day in Florida, and this is rated a very physically tough course. Dixon has 32-point lead over American Josef Newgarden - neither had a great time in qualifying. Dixon 11th, Newgarden 8th.
There are 53 points up for grabs, Newgarden needs to finish in top two. Extremely humid and hot.
7.28am: A tale of two Scotts...Dixon aiming for his sixth title, McLaughlin wanting to make an early mark in his new career. The race in Florida is about to start in front of a predicted 20,000 Covid-19 restricted fans.
Race preview
Qualifying didn't go well for IndyCar series leader Scott Dixon at the final race of the season, but the big picture still looks good as the Kiwi chases a sixth title.
Kiwi Dixon qualified 11th, while Kiwi Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin was 21st in the field of 24, for this morning's Firestone Grand Prix in Florida.
Most importantly the man chasing Dixon, American Josef Newgarden, also had a bad qualifying day, finishing in eighth spot.
It means that even if Newgarden wins the 100-lap race around the streets of St Petersburg, Dixon will still claim the title if he finishes ninth or better.
There will be a lot of attention on Kiwi star McLaughlin, who has rushed to America to join IndyCar after claiming his third consecutive Supercars title in Australia.
He was initially fast in practice but after slipping back in qualifying said: "I'm disappointed in myself, but it is what it is.
"I'm pushing out there and trying to find the limits in a fast-forward motion. We'll just come back and have a go tomorrow."
Dixon meanwhile has seen a 117-point series lead whittled back to 32 but he is hotly favoured to win the IndyCar title, and even more so after Newgarden missed out on an extra pole position point.
"Josef starting eighth…that definitely helps us a lot. If they're not making top three, we don't have to do anything," Dixon said.
Newgarden was frustrated with himself and his car.
"It makes our programme a little harder but we're still going to try for the win," he said.
"We can win (the title), we just made it harder on ourselves."
Australian Will Power won his 62nd pole position - five short of Mario Andretti's record - for the 14th and final race of the season.
The 14-turn temporary course, which includes part of an airport runway, will have up to 20,000 spectators. They are required to wear masks and socially distance, and will be temperature checked, because of Covid-19.
The race was postponed and seemingly cancelled earlier in the year, and Dixon said just getting to the IndyCar finish line was a "major victory" during the pandemic.
"It's been such a bizarre year, a year I'll definitely never forget, no one else will really," he said.
"There will be standout moments you'll reflect on like walking out of Gasoline Alley on race day and seeing nobody. A polarisation of what's normal.
