A Lap-One Crash at Portland Likely Ends Scott Dixon's Championship Hopes

Bad luck on Sunday at lap one of the final road course of the season has likely ended Scott Dixon's quest for his seventh IndyCar Championship.

Exiting turn seven at Portland International Raceway, Kyle Kirkwood checked up, forcing Dixon off track. Then Dixon was shuffled back five spots and was then hit by Pietro Fittipaldi in Turn 8, forcing Dixon over the curb and into the Armco barrier, totaling his race car.

When the race was restarted on lap six, Fittipaldi was hit with a pass-through penalty of avoidable contact. The Brazilian driver did not agree with this ruling, saying over his radio, "He put me into the curve; what do you want me to do?"

Fittipaldi dropped from 13th to the last car on the track with his pass-through penalty.

Dixon agreed that it was not Fittipaldi's fault and placed the blame solely on Kirkwood in the No. 27 car.

"The No. 27 caused all of the mayhem, to be honest," Dixon told Georgia Henneberry of IndyCar on NBC. "Just did a lunge and gave me zero room on the exit. I think with Fittipaldi getting the penalty there? There was no real fault. The penalty should've been on the No. 27."

Since no contact was made by Kirkwood's mistake, no penalty could be issued to the Andretti driver.

With Dixon out of the race, Palou and Power—two of the three drivers still reasonable in the Championship hunt—take control at the front of the pack. Colton Herta, the other title contender, has been safely in the top five as well.

Strong runs from the other championship contenders paired with Dixon's minimum five points for finishing last will push Dixon out of contention.

Dixon's last championship came in 2020; his seventh championship would tie the A.J. Foyt for most American Open wheel championships.

You Might Also Like

• You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox

• Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners

• The Man Who Signs Every Car