IndyCar: Scott Dixon thwarts Helio Castroneves to win third IndyCar title
Scott Dixon claimed a third IndyCar Series championship after a fifth-placed finish in California.
Last Updated: 20/10/13 9:17am
Dixon pipped the Brazilian by a place in Saturday's season finale to end the campaign 27 points ahead of his closest rival.
Castroneves had taken a 49-point lead over the New Zealander into the Houston double-header a fortnight ago but gearbox issues sent him to Fontana in need of a win to salvage the title.
Instead, an errant pit stop call incurred a drive-thru penalty and contact with Charlie Kimball later broke his front wing.
Australia's Will Power finished first, posting his third win of the season in a race that saw just nine drivers complete the 500-mile distance.
Victory was especially sweet for Power, who last year lost the series title by just three points to Ryan Hunter-Reay when an early crash saw him finish back in 24th.
Ed Carpenter, the 2012 race winner at this track, finished second, while Tony Kanaan took the third spot in his final race with KV Racing Technology and James Hinchcliffe placed fourth.
"I did not think we had a chance at doing this, sitting in victory lane," said Dixon, who dealt with an overheating engine late in the race.
"For all the ups and downs we had this year, I got to thank everybody on the team for sticking in there and making a comeback that I never thought was possible."
