Dixon Faces Grid Penalty Ahead of Honda Indy Toronto
Toronto, ON – Six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon will start from a sixth-place penalty on the grid for Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto due to an unapproved engine change made following last weekend’s Iowa Speedway doubleheader.
Dixon’s struggles with reliability have been pronounced this season, losing his first of four allocated engines within just two laps during the final pre-season test. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver initially installed a second engine for the opening race but subsequently cycled through three more by May. The latest penalty stems from the installation of a fifth engine prior to the June 1 race in Detroit.
Now equipped with his sixth Honda power unit for the Toronto event, Dixon faces the possibility of needing another engine change in the remaining four races of the season. According to IndyCar rules, teams exceeding the four-engine limit are disqualified from contributing to the manufacturer championship standings, which has prevented Dixon from bolstering Honda’s lead over Chevrolet since the Detroit event.
As the race approaches, Dixon’s team will be focused not only on optimizing performance but also on strategizing to mitigate the impact of these penalties on their championship aspirations.
