If Scott Dixon secures his third IZOD IndyCar Series championship on the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway oval Oct. 19, he can cite points accumulated on street course doubleheaders as a significant contributor.
Dixon totaled 263 points in the six races that constituted the the series' first season of doubleheaders -- 80 points more than the next competitor and 120 points more than championship protagonist Helio Castroneves. The Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver takes a 25-point advantage over Team Penske's Castroneves into the title-deciding MAVTV 500 INDYCAR World Championships.
Click it: How Dixon and Castroneves have fared at Auto Club Speedway
Dixon accumulated three victories -- sweeping Toronto and winning Race 1 at Houston -- second place in Race 2 at Houston and placed fourth in both races at Detroit in early June (2.1 average finish through the six races).
"The car, the guys have not given up. They've been working hard," said Dixon, who entered the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston trailing Castroneves by 49 points. "We had a couple of good tests, one in Sebring (June 26) and one in California (Sept. 24) to try and improve, and the development has still been strong on the team side and with Honda.
"Coming (to Houston) we probably liked the chances just for the fact that both the 9 and the 10 (Dario Franchitti) have been strong at the street courses recently."
Click it: Points breakdown for all drivers
Castroneves' total was 143 points. He had a best finish of second in Race 2 at Toronto in July, and his title aspirations took a hit at Houston this past weekend as mechanical issues relegated him to 18th and 23rd.
Mike Conway, with a victory and third place at Detroit, was second with 180 points in the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing car. Simon Pagenaud, who earned his first series victory in Race 2 at Detroit along with fourth- and sixth-place finishes at Houston, totaled 169 points. Driving the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP car, he's third in the standings.
Overall on road and street courses, Dixon totaled 420 points to 335 for Castroneves. The veteran team Penske driver has outscored Dixon 186-126 on ovals.