'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon won last year's IndyCar race at Long Beach. With the 2025 race at the street circuit on the horizon, the 44-year-old driver came out and reflected on his fight with Colton Herta for the win at the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Scott Dixon featured in a YouTube video uploaded by IndyCar on April 8, 2025. The CGR driver was questioned about the race and how he made the fuel-saving strategy work whilst being under pressure from Josef Newgarden and then Colton Herta in the final laps of the race. Dixon replied (2:45 onwards),
“The last 10 laps were so nerve wracking, man, just because we had banked on getting some caution to make it a lot easier. You know, the fuel mileage that we had to get off Honda was through the roof. Which ideally or not ideally at that track, you know, the straights, being so long, it kind of kills your lap time."
Trending
Scott Dixon then detailed the factors that helped him keep the Andretti Global driver behind in the last 10 laps, as he said,
“Before the race, we had trimmed out. Obviously, when you're saving fuel, you don't use any overtake. So I had a ton of that. And I could kind of keep applying one or two seconds out of the hip and trimmed out, string away a little bit, and they really couldn't pass us.”
Scott Dixon started the race in P8 but made his way through the pack and was in the lead of the race for the last 20 laps with Josef Newgarden behind him. As the Kiwi driver was saving fuel to make it to the end, the Team Penske driver caught up to him.
Unfortunately, with a few laps to go, Colton Herta hit the back of Newgarden's car, which stalled the gearbox sensor, and the Team Penske car lost drive for a few seconds. Herta passed Newgarden and chased Scott Dixon.
However, the CGR driver had the race under control and used his push to pass to stop the Andretti Global driver from making the overtake down the long start-finish straight.
Scott Dixon’s last lap overtake on Josef Newgarden at the 2025 IndyCar season opener
In the 2025 season opener, Scott Dixon was effectively P3 after the final rounds of pit stops panned out at St. Petersburg with Josef Newgarden and Alex Palou ahead of him. However, Dixon's final stop wasn't planned timely as he came out in traffic and lost time to Palou and Newgarden.
Had Dixon pitted a few laps later, he would've gotten past the traffic, and come out in clean air, and possibly in the race lead. Nonetheless, Newgarden in P2 used up all his fuel in an attempt to overtake Palou for the win.
Unfortunately for Newgarden, he was running on fumes on the final lap, and Scott Dixon took advantage of the same to take away P2 from the Team Penske driver, making it a 1-2 for Chip Ganassi Racing at St. Petersburg.
