Dixon enjoys spin and win in IndyCar's Gallagher GP

Scott Dixon recovered from a spin on the opening lap of the Gallagher Grand Prix held on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course to claim his 53rd win in the NTT IndyCar Series.

A contact a Turn 7 on the first lap of the race between championship leader Alex Palou and his Ganassi teammate Marcus Armstrong wreaked havoc in the field, with Romain Grosjean spinning Dixon onto the grass while Penske's Josef Newgarden – Palou's single challenger in the championship fight – arrived on to the scene with nowhere to go, hitting and climbing onto the nose of Armstrong's car.

Dixon had managed to keep his engine running, the Kiwi powering away at the tail end of the field. The six-time IndyCar champion nevertheless managed to cycle his way through his pitstops and back into contention for a shootout in the closing stages with poleman Graham Rahal.

Despite a flawless drive by the latter, Dixon came out on top, edging the Rahal Letterman Lanigan charger at the checkered flag by just half a second.

Dixon's triumph allowed the 43-year-old to extend his IndyCar Series record streak to 19 consecutive seasons with at least one victory on a day when he also set a series record with his 319th consecutive start.

“What a day to win on,” said Dixon as he held his 3-year-old son, Kit. "It makes it so fun, especially for this little guy. He gets to see it.

"It’s been a little while since I’ve had a win, probably over a year. It makes it worthwhile, and we’re going to keep trying to win on (start) No. 320."

With three rounds to go Palou remains comfortably in charge at the top of the standings with a 101-point lead over Dixon who snatched the runner-up spot from Newgarden.