Alexander Rossi continued his late-season surge at the IndyCar Series' Watkins Glen International race on Sunday, winning his first race of the season to help tighten the season's championship points battle. Rossi just edged out runner-up Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, while Ryan Hunter-Reay finished third at the Watkins Glen race track.
Rossi's victory allowed Josef Newgarden to hold onto the top points spot but just barely over second place Dixon. The two are separated by just three points, setting the stage for a marquee showdown to the title on September 17 at Sonoma, California.
The California contest awards twice the usual number of points, meaning whichever driver finishes ahead of the other has the best chance to become the series champion. But don't count out Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud. Castroneves, who is seeking his first series title after two decades in the sport, is 22 points out of the lead with Pagenaud 34 adrift. Newgarden entered the season's penultimate race with a commanding 31-point lead over Dixon in the championship, but that all but ended when he crashed in pit lane late in the race.