"We were running really well in eighth and almost lapped half the field and had passed Charlie Kimball and were running in formation. I don't know what he was thinking - he kind of threw it on the inside of me, got huge understeer and steered up into my left rear and took us both out of the race."
That weekend back in June had a special two-race format in the one day and the grid line-up for the second race was done on a draw, so Cunningham got a second chance to race. He was one of the first drivers to draw, pulled P2 and started on the outside of the front row.
However, with his original race car too badly damaged to be repaired in time for the start of race two, Cunningham had to leap into a spare car that was not set up for the Texas speedway, or himself, and so could manage only a 26th-place finish.
The car Cunningham drove last time out was the one used by Dan Wheldon to win this year's Indianapolis 500 and has now been earmarked for a place in the circuit's museum.
In its place, Cunningham's team, Sam Schmidt Motorsports, has allocated the Kiwi its No17 car, carrying the livery of sponsor, Air Ride Pallet.
Cunningham is one of 29 drivers entered for this weekend's 480km race around the 2.4km 14-degree banked tri-oval in Sparta, Kentucky. Although he is one of six rookie drivers in the field this year, the Aucklander has plenty of experience at the circuit, having won a Firestone Indy Lights series race there in 2009 and also climbing the podium in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
He also tested at the circuit earlier this month and is looking forward to getting back on the track.
"We had four hours of testing on the 23rd. That knocked the rust off and allowed me to get my [rookie] mileage allocation, meaning I will be ready to go the minute I get in the car on Saturday," said Cunningham.
"Kentucky is an extremely bumpy track and because the ride heights are affected so much ... the mechanical balance becomes that much more important as the tyres degrade. If we have long stretches of green flag, running the final 15 laps of each stint will become the most important."
Cunningham came to world motorsport notice in 2003 when he won the world's premier karting class, Formula A. He became New Zealand's only world karting champion and the second Kiwi to win an official FIA world championship behind Denny Hulme, who won his Formula One title in 1967.
The next year, Cunningham headed to the United States, and his breakout year came in 2005 when he was offered an Indy Lights seat with Brian Stewart Racing. Despite no pre-season testing, Cunningham finished in the top 10 in every race and handed the championship to BSR at the end of the season.
Cunningham was well on course to land another title in 2006, but his season was halted by an appendectomy.
On his return, he was 18th in the series but clawed his way back to finish third, collecting his first Indianapolis Motor Speedway Freedom 100, the first New Zealander to do so.
When IndyCar and Champ car united in 2008, Cunningham hoped to get a main game drive, but it wasn't to be. He accepted a limited Indy Lights drive, racing only three times. The following year looked better and although he didn't win the series, finishing fourth, he did become the only driver to set two poles at Indianapolis and win two Freedom 100 races. He went on to win another Freedom 100 in 2010 and become the only driver to win three times.
This weekend's meeting will be the second of three IndyCar series races Cunningham will contest this season. He will also start the final series round in Las Vegas in a fortnight's time.
Dixon came back into series contention with a win in Japan two weeks ago. Australian Will Power continues to lead the championship on 542 points, with Dixon's teammate, Dario Franchitti, just 11 points behind in second and Dixon a further 48 points back in third.
