Dixon looking to recapture winning form at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. — Scott Dixon had a dream season as a rookie in the Indy Racing League, winning three of his first seven starts and leading 748 laps en route to the 2003 series championship.

But this year has been another story. The 23-year-old New Zealander has led for only three laps coming into Saturday night’s SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway. His best finish was second in Phoenix.

“We’ve been a little up and down,” Dixon said Thursday. “We’ve struggled a little and had some crashes. We’ve been trying our hardest.”

Last year here, Dixon put on a clinic, recording the first wire-to-wire victory in IRL history.

But with two accidents in five starts this year, Dixon is only sixth in the series standings.

Tony Kanaan has been the dominant force, winning two races and finishing second twice. The Brazilian also led at this stage last year before finishing a disappointing fifth in Richmond.

Anything can happen on Richmond’s three-quarter-mile oval, the shortest on the IRL circuit. The tight turns and high banking cause numerous bunch-ups and crashes. Nine of 20 starters failed to finish in the series debut here three years ago.

The track has been resurfaced, leading organizers to promise even higher speeds than the 168 mph Dixon posted in winning the pole last year. Racers say the track is the most physically demanding on the circuit because the 16-second laps require an immense amount of concentration and there are no long straightaways where drivers can relax.