By: Spencer Neff
August 27, 2023

2023 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Results

For the second race in a row, Scott Dixon and the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing team used their strategic expertise to find their way to victory. After a nine-place grid penalty found him starting 16th, the six-time INDYCAR Champion found his way to the front of the 28-car field in the 260-lap Bommarito Automotive Group 500. Dixon led a race-high 123 laps, including the final 40.

In the end, he would hold off Arrow McLaren’s Pato O”Ward by 22.2256 seconds to win for the second time at the 1.25-mile Worldwide Technology Raceway (2020 Race 1). Dixon joins Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden as the only driver to win multiple times at this venue.

O’Ward finishes second for the fourth time in 2023 as he goes into the last two races in search of his first victory of the season. Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports’ David Malukas finishes on the podium at Gateway for a second consecutive time (finished second in 2022).

The podium finishers were the only drivers to finish on the lead lap. Alexander Rossi (fourth) made it two Arrow McLaren cars in the Top Five. After earning his first oval pole, Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin would start tenth due to an engine change penalty. By the end of the day, he made his way to fifth, his third consecutive Top Five in as many races.

Points leader Alex Palou finished seventh and leads his teammate Dixon by 70 with two races remaining.

Making his INDYCAR oval debut, Linus Lundqvist was best among the rookies in 18th.

Race Recap

The start of the race was marred by an early accident.On the start of the race, Ed Carpenter made contact with Benjamin Pedersen, sending the No. 55 A.J. Foyt Racing entry into the Turn 1 wall. For the rookie, his debut at Gateway was over before completing a single lap. Carpenter was given a 30-second stop and hold penalty for avoidable contact.

On Lap 11, the race would resume green flag conditions, with Newgarden holding serve up front. By Lap 63, Newgarden and Malukas would pit from the lead and second respectively. Three laps later, Newgarden returned to the point, with Herta and O’Ward moving to second and third.

After stopping on Lap 103, Newgarden would hand the lead back to Herta. Looking to play a strategy call, Dixon made his way to the point before Lap 123, when his teammate Takuma Sato spun in Turn 2. After battling aerodynamic issues on his car for most of the race, the Gateway winner was out of his final scheduled race for 2023.

Dixon and Newgarden would pit from the front of the field on Lap 127. On Lap 196, Dixon made his final scheduled stop. O’Ward, who leapfrogged Newgarden during their pit stop, would inherit the lead.

On Lap 213, Newgarden drifted up high in Turn 2 and brushed the wall, knocking him out of contention. He would finish 25th, ending his streak of five consecutive oval victories. Before today’s race, he was the only driver to win on an oval this year. The 2017 and 2019 INDYCAR Champion is eliminated from contention for the championship.

Out font, Dixon saved fuel to bring home the victory. The average speed was 149.819 mph, slowed by two cautions for 22 laps. During the race, the lead changed hands 10 times between six drivers.

Up Next

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES finishes it season with two permanent road courses on the West Coast. Next Sunday, Portland International Raceway hosts the Bitnile.com Grand Prix.

Practice 1 is scheduled for 6:00-7:15 p.m. ET on Friday, September 1 at the 1.964-mile, 12-turn circuit.

On Saturday September 2, the 60-minute second practice is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.. Three-round, knockout qualifying will be at 3:30-5:00 p.m. At 8:15 p.m. ET, a 30-minute final practice will be held. All practice and qualifying sessions will be streamed on Peacock.

At 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 3, the NBC live broadcast will begin. The green flag for the 110-lap race is expected to be after 3:30 p.m. ET. IndyCar1909 will have coverage of all the latest from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Header Image By Chris Jones/INDYCAR