New Zealand's Scott Dixon, in his first year on the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) circuit, negotiated the final few laps like a veteran Sunday en route to victory at the Lehigh Valley Grand Prix.
Just 20 years old, Dixon became the youngest driver to win a CART race, doing it in his third start. The 2000 Indy Lights champion maintained his poise on the final restart with seven laps remaining and used steady manoeuvres around traffic to hold off Kenny Brack of Sweden by 0.366 seconds. He averaged 114.840 miles per hour in his PacWest Racing Toyota/Reynard. Brack led 126 laps but had some late handling problems with his Ford-Cosworth/Lola and continues to chase his first career CART win. Dixon, who started 23rd, moved to the front late when leader Tony Kanaan of Brazil had to stop for fuel on lap 190. Kanaan had taken the lead following a pit stop by Brack, who jumped to the front right from the start.
Dixon's fuel mileage was also under question as he pitted last on lap 116 and was expected to make another stop in the 225-lap race. But he completed the remaining 109 laps on that fuel tank and did not need new tires. After crossing the finish line, Dixon bumped tires with another rookie, Max Wilson, but did not destroy his racer. Dixon and Brack made significant moves in the CART standings. Brack leaped from ninth to fifth with 29 points. Dixon broke into the top 10 at eighth with 20 points. Paul Tracy of Canada finished third in a Honda/Reynard, followed by Jimmy Vasser and Brazilian Christian Fittipaldi. Tracy and Brazilian Cristiano Matta top the standings with 40 points apiece. Brazil's Bruno Junqueira, last year's European Formula 3000 champion who was on pole for the first time in a CART race, was seventh. Crowd favourite and Nazareth resident Michael Andretti finished sixth for the third straight year after starting 13th. It was his 12th points-paying race in 14 attempts at the track. (Reuters)
Filed by Pat Nugent
