IndyCar gets through well-screened, delayed opener in Texas

Through all of uncertainty and unkwns after more than eight months since last IndyCar race, Scott Dixon and ar pair of former champs relied on ir experience for podium finishes.

re were spectators, and re won’t be for next race on July 4, but series finally started its season that was delayed by coronavirus pandemic with a long, well-screened day — from health screenings everyone h to go through just to get inside Texas Motor Speedway to new protective windscreens over cockpits of cars.

“We knew coming in it was going to be a tough situation for IndyCar Series putting toger race and making sure we could put on show to entertain people," said Simon Pnaud, who was runner-up behind Dixon. “That’s what we do, that’s what this business is about."

And people watched, even though only spectators at track — where grandstands can seat well over 100,000 people — were those with access to condos overlooking Turn 2.

NBC Sports said Sunday that Saturday night prime-time telecast drew nearly 1.3 million viewers, making it most-watched IndyCar race outside Indianapolis 500 on any network since 2016. It was biggest audience for an NBC telecast of any IndyCar race away from Brickyard.

“Just awesome to be back here. It was awesome to get into racing again,” Pnaud said. “ false start in St. Pete, it was first time in my career I’ve ever experienced anything like it.”

Nearly three months after season was about to start on streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, and extended hiatus that followed because of pandemic, all-in-one-day opener ended with Dixon taking checkered flag at dusk. 200-lap race on 1 1/2-mile, high-banked oval came after practice and qualifying earlier in day when heat index was consistently around 100 degrees Fahrenheit — and much hotter in cars and on track.

“We hn’t tested here, Aeroscreen was new, hn’t run tires. A lot of big changes going on,” Dixon said. “You really h to go in with an open mind and kind of make sure that all work you’d done really worked out. ... Really hard on rookies, a lot of people that haven’t been here before. For veterans, I think (experience) was definitely an vant."

IndyCar's next race is at Indianapolis, on ro course and t 2 1/2-mile track that hosts Indy 500, which was pushed back from its tritional Memorial Day weekend date until Aug. 23.

Dixon's 47 wins are most among active drivers and third on career list behind A.J. Foyt (67) and Mario Andretti (52). Dixon extended his own record by winning a race in his 16th consecutive season, and matched Foyt’s mark of 18 seasons overall with a victory.

“I feel very lucky and privileged to do what I do, to get to race with best in world,” Dixon said. “To still have A.J. and Mario come to track, I think that’s coolest thing. And Unsers, a lot of legends of sport."

season opened at one of series' fastest and trickiest tracks, without testing, with limited practice time and revised tire rules. It was also

“Or than handling differences, I didn’t tice screen. ... You can take that as a very good thing. I didn’t tice it," Newgarden said. “It's re w. I mean, it felt like a rmal IndyCar race to me. I didn’t tice a big difference to last year. handling is different in car, but as far as driver’s experience, I don’t even tice thing anymore.”