Scott Dixon wins Indy Japan, takes the series lead

MOTEGI, Japan (AP) — Scott Dixon’s IndyCar series championship hopes got a huge boost at the Indy Japan 300, while Ryan Briscoe’s took a hit from a pylon at the end of pit lane.

Dixon won the next-to-last race of the season to move into first place in the standings ahead of Target Chip Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti and Briscoe.

Dixon recorded his fifth win of the season by finishing 1.4475 seconds ahead of Franchitti at the 1.5-mile Twin Ring Motegi oval. He led 139 of 200 laps after starting from the pole, taking the lead for good on the 164th lap.

Briscoe went into Saturday’s race with a 25-point lead over Franchitti and a 32-point lead over Dixon, but saw his chances to win in Japan — and perhaps take his first championship — dashed by a miscue midway through the race.

After a slow start, Briscoe took the lead for the first time on lap 103 when Dixon and Franchitti pitted. Briscoe pitted on lap 106 just before a yellow flag came out after Mike Conway hit the wall at turn 4.

Leaving the pit, Briscoe was in a hurry to get back on the track and lost control of his car. He swerved to the left, ran over the large cone marking the end of pit lane and sideswiped the inside wall, with the pylon getting stuck under his car’s left front.

Because he was leading when the yellow came out, the field slowed to allow Briscoe to keep the lead.

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