Kiwi IndyCar driver Scott Dixon has ended a challenging season with a third-place finish at Monterey, California, on Monday (NZ time).
Dixon had a slim, but mathematical chance of winning a sixth title in the championship-ending race, but his hopes were dashed, as Joseph Newgarden's eighth-place finish was enough for him to claim his second IndyCar title in three years.
Chip Ganassi driver Dixon finished the season in fourth position overall, 63 points adrift of American Newgarden.
"It was a tough race today, so to finish on the podium was huge," said Dixon.
In 17 races this year, Dixon claimed two wins at Detroit and Mid-Ohio in 2019, along with 10 podiums, but a few incidents during the season didn't help his cause.
A day before his first season win, Dixon was involved in a crash in Detroit, while mechanical failure at Madison, Illinois, and battery failure in Portland also didn't help his cause.
Dixon's teammate, Felix Rosenqvist, finished fifth to claim the Rookie of the Year award, while fellow first-year racer Colton Herta won the season-ending 90-lap race.
But the day belonged to Newgarden, who was full of emotion after the race.
"I am so happy, I was crying that entire last lap," Newgarden said. "This has been my dream since I was a kid.
"It's been a stressful year, so I'm really thankful for everything."
Kiwi Supercars driver Scott McLaughlin tweeted a "massive congrats" to Newgarden - both race under Team Penske.
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