Scott Dixon, CGR Contingent Lead Title Charge into St. Louis

Six-time champion Scott Dixon has kicked things into high gear in the second half of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and sits six points behind the leader with just three races remaining.

Dixon was undoubtedly strong in the first half, but he has recently dialed into the pace, expertise and consistency that helped propel him to those six previous titles. Since the start of July, Dixon has led the field in wins, average finish, top-5’s and positions gained from the start to finish of those six races.

The 260-lap contest will feature two fresh looks across the Ganassi Hondas. Marcus Ericsson and the No. 8 team will don a new Bryant red, while Alex Palou will make his return to The American Legion's red, white and blue livery. Ericsson boasts a 100% win rate in the Bryant scheme thanks to his debut with the partner on the Streets of Nashville in 2021.

Get Up To Speed

• Dixon has led 6,520 laps in his career, the 4th-most in INDYCAR SERIES history (Mario Andretti: 7,595; Michael Andretti: 6,692; A.J. Foyt: 6,621). 
  
• Dixon boasts 191 all-time top-5 finishes, 2nd-most in INDYCAR SERIES history (Mario Andretti: 193).
• Dixon is the sole CGR driver to win at WWTR (2020) since the series returned to the track in the 2017 season. Dixon’s 2020 win featured the most drivers on the lead lap (16) and the fewest caution laps (4) among INDYCAR SERIES track history. Alex Zanardi and Juan Pablo Montoya are the only other CGR drivers to win an INDYCAR SERIES race at WWTR, doing so in the CART series during the 1998 and 2000 seasons.
• Ericsson will look to re-gain the points lead and become the first driver to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the series championship in the same season since Dario Franchitti in 2010. 
• Ericsson has recorded the most on-track passes (240) and the most position passes (158) of any driver in the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.
• Ericsson and the No. 8 crew have improved on ovals each year he’s been with the team, thanks to an increased emphasis on oval improvement this past offseason, working closely with Dario Franchitti and watching hours of on-board footage of Scott Dixon. Ericsson’s boasts a field-leading average oval finish with of 4.5 this season after posting averages of 12.8 in 2021 and 16.2 in 2020.
• Ericsson has gained the most positions among the field over the course of the 4 oval races this season (+28). 
• Alex Palou earned a podium finish (P3) last race on the Streets of Nashville, his fifth of the season. Palou has impressively secured a podium finish in 13-of-30 (43%) with Chip Ganassi Racing.  
• Jimmie Johnson returns to an oval for the first time since the Iowa doubleheader. In Iowa Race 1, Johnson executed 57 on-track passes, the most among all drivers in the race and the 3rd-most by anyone this season in a single race (O’Ward/Newgarden). 
  
• Chip Ganassi Racing drivers rank 2-3-4 in terms of average finishing position this season (Power: 6.4; Dixon: 6.5; Ericsson: 7.9; Palou: 8.1).

Marcus Ericsson
No. 8 Bryant Honda
“Three races to go now, so it’s getting closer to the end of the season. For the No. 8 crew, we have the Bryant car this weekend, and that brings back a lot of good memories. That car won last year in Nashville, so we are looking to go two for two and win this weekend at Gateway. It’s going to be a fun weekend; it’s always a good crowd. The Saturday late afternoon race is always very cool. There’s a lot at stake, and we’re all very focused and determined to have a good one this weekend with a big result.”

Scott Dixon
No. 9 PNC Bank Honda
“It's becoming a very tight and interesting championship; I'd say one of the best of recent years. It was definitely a difficult race for us last year. Alex and myself got caught up in the same accident, but we were able to get back out and repair the car. Hopefully, it will be a much cleaner weekend for us and all three of us fighting for the championship. We will be doing our best to try and remain in the hunt with two races to go after St. Louis. It's definitely getting pretty spicy and exciting. This is what the team is made for and hopefully one of us can get that trophy and keep it back at home."

Alex Palou
No. 10 The American Legion Honda
“Nashville was good, getting a podium there in a survival race. Scott won the race, too, so it was a good day for the team. We got some points back in the championship; we're in P5 with less than 35 points to the lead. Three races left so it's time to push. We need to do the best we can to get this championship home. I'm very excited for Gateway and the night race. I think it's a great event for the fans and NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing. Last year wasn't good for us; we had some speed but couldn't finish the race. I still think it's a good place for us and hopefully, we can get some points back. We'll see you guys in St. Louis and on social media over the weekend."

Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Carvana Honda
“Excited to build on the great performance and effort we all put into Iowa. I feel like I can improve from there and have a shot at the podium, if not better. It’s been a lot of years since I’ve been to the racetrack in St. Louis; I’d say probably late ‘90’s. I have been there a couple of times in Cup car testing, but I’m really excited to get back there, see the fans and return to an oval in my Carvana Honda."

Catch Bommarito Automotive Group 500 coverage on Peacock and USA this weekend and be sure to follow along with the action on the INDYCAR App powered by NTT Data.

The race is set for Saturday, August 20, at 6 PM ET.