Never count out the Iceman.
If anyone could come from behind and win a championship, it's Scott Dixon. The Target Chip Ganassi driver now has four IndyCar series titles to go with his 2008 Indy 500 win. Dixon was 47 points behind leader Juan Pablo Montoya. He wasn't even in second place--he sat behind Graham Rahal in third place. But I'm not surprised he pulled it off. He is an IndyCar legend.
I had my doubts about having the finale at Sonoma, but IndyCar put on a good show. Sonoma is a tough track, and not one where you can expect a lot of passing. So I felt for sure there would be no drama. Boy was I wrong! A series of events conspired to make this a highly entertaining, intense race that went down to the final lap. First JPM punted his teammate Will Power, causing damage to both cars. Various cautions bunched up the field. Sebastien Bourdais got into the back of Graham Rahal, effectively ending his season. But when Bourdais was rightfully given a drive-through penalty, JPM needed only to pass Ryan Briscoe to claim the championship. He never got close enough. I am a Ryan Briscoe fan as you know but I don't think I've ever cheered louder for a driver to finish fifth than I did in those closing laps. I stood up and rooted for Briscoe, getting nervous when it seemed JPM had closed the gap. I did NOT want Montoya to win, and his comments in the post-race press conference further confirmed why so many people find it hard to like him.
Montoya said Dixon had a--pardon the language--"shit season" and only had "one good race." He also blamed the double points for handing Dixon the Astor Cup. Seriously, Juan Pablo? First of all, YOU got double points for winning the Indy 500, so you can't say you hate double points but still want to keep them from a previous race. And did you know that you and Dixon actually tied for the championship, but Dixon won because he won more races? That doesn't sound like a "shit season" to me. It sounds like a terrific year by a terrific driver. Show some class and respect, geez.
His teammate Will Power wasn't any better. Will's comment was "we need to decide if we're running a sport or a casino," because only a handful of races had been won on merit rather than luck. True, I think a few races came down to luck. But Dixon won this race and this title. Dixon is the best driver of his generation, and is certainly in the conversation for best IndyCar drivers of all-time. And luck is part of racing. Power has gotten lucky in his career, too. Sometimes it happens, but that doesn't discount what Dixon has accomplished. He is a true champion, and he earned it this year.
Graham Rahal can hold his head high. He had a great year, and he will be a serious title contender next year. Sonoma runner-up Ryan Hunter-Reay also ended the year strong, and I expect he'll be back in contention next year as well.
The race began with some touching tributes to Justin Wilson, and it ended with a spirited drive by Oriol Servia. You have to think JW was riding along with Servia on Sunday, pushing him to a good 12th place finish. For someone who hadn't worked out and hadn't been in an IndyCar since May, his result was admirable. I am glad the race went on, and I think JW enjoyed it from above. The IndyCar community came together for each other before dispersing into the off-season. This finale was just what we all needed.
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