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Kohler Grand Prix: 3 takeaways from IndyCar at Road America

By Brittany Frederick

Jun 25, 2017; Elkhart Lake, WI, USA; Verizon IndyCar Series driver Scott Dixon (9) reacts after winning the Kohler Grand Prix at Road America. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2017; Elkhart Lake, WI, USA; Verizon IndyCar Series driver Scott Dixon (9) reacts after winning the Kohler Grand Prix at Road America. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Did Scott Dixon’s Kohler Grand Prix win prove he’s IndyCar’s best? Here’s what we learned from Sunday’s Verizon IndyCar Series race at Road America.

The Verizon IndyCar Series touched down at Road America on Sunday for the Kohler Grand Prix, and it was Scott Dixon who captured the checkered flag as well as his first ever victory at the well known track and 41st of his career.

Dixon made an impressive pass on Lap 31 of 55 to push past Josef Newgarden and reinforce his lead atop the IndyCar championship standings, despite having a car that seemed to be one step behind all weekend and even had fuel issues in warmup. So what can we take away from the Ganassi legend spoiling the Penske party?

Here’s what we learned from the Kohler Grand Prix:

1) Scott Dixon is IndyCar’s best active driver

So much of the buzz going into the Kohler Grand Prix was about Team Penske as they swept the top four positions in qualifying and seemed to be considerably faster overall. But just when you thought they were safe, in came Scott Dixon like a big blue Jaws to steal his first win of the 2017 season.

It was only a matter of time until Dixon got a victory. He’s now won at least once in 13 straight seasons; that’s more than a decade of success. He has the most championships of any driver currently in the series. And aside from his horrifying crash in the Indy 500, he has never finished outside of the top 10 all year. That’s just mind-blowing.

His victory at Road America is particularly impressive because he was doing it more on driving skill and strategy than anything else. The Honda cars were slower than the Chevrolets in the race, with the rest of the top 5 all Chevys. But Dixon, using his ability to save fuel and his wiles on the restart, still pulled out the win. That tells you all you need to know about how talented he is.

2) Josef Newgarden to Team Penske has paid off

The most talked-about move of the IndyCar offseason has definitely paid off. Josef Newgarden put on another great performance for Team Penske at Road America, and is a championship contender who has impressed all season long. There was some deserved caution when Penske parted ways with Juan Pablo Montoya to bring in Newgarden, but the Tennessee native is currently three spots ahead of where Montoya finished in 2016.

And it hasn’t been a bad move for Ed Carpenter Racing, either; JR Hildebrand is back in the No. 21, and while he may not have the points, he’s also looked very quick at times, including a podium at Phoenix. Hildebrand will only get better as he gets used to being in the car full-time. So both sides have a positive out of this transition, and that’s good for IndyCar as a whole.

3) Ed Carpenter is a full service team owner

Speaking of Josef Newgarden’s former team, our gold star of the week goes to Ed Carpenter. He wasn’t racing at Road America, but Carpenter didn’t take the week off. One of ECR’s fuelers was out this Sunday as his wife is expecting a baby, so NBC Sports revealed during the TV broadcast that Carpenter himself decided to step in and act as replacement fueler. That’s being a real team player, especially since working on a pit crew is no easy task (ask Richard Hammond) and every second matters. We applaud your extra effort, Ed.

Next: Is Max Chilton turning a corner in IndyCar?

Next up for the Verizon IndyCar Series is the Iowa Corn 300 at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, July 9. For the latest news throughout IndyCar, follow the Motor Sports category at FanSided here.