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Power wins, Dixon crashes out

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Power won in an action packed Toronto race
New Zealand champion Indycar driver Scott Dixon's 2010 title hopes took a severe knock at the weekend when he crashed out of the latest race in Toronto, Canada.

Dixon was forced to retire with damagae on the 72nd of 85 laps after a collision with the car of American Ryan Hunter-Reay. Hunter-Reay went on to finish third behind Australian Will Power, whose latest win saw him extend his series lead.

Power capitalized on a poor restart by Justin Wilson, opened up a big lead on defending race winner Dario Franchitti, and cruised to victory in yesterday's Honda Indy Toronto. It was the fourth win of the season (all of them coming on road or street courses) for the Team Penske driver, who now holds a 42-point lead over Franchitti in the overall standings.

It was perhaps the luckiest of Power's four wins this season, however, as Wilson clearly had the car to beat all weekend. During an early practice session, Wilson had a .7-second advantage on the next best car; from there, he won the pole, and led in the early stages of the event. He only relinquished the lead during pit stops under the first caution, which came after KV Racing teammates Takuma Sato and Mario Moraes got together.

Hometown hero Paul Tracy inherited the lead on lap 18 by staying out, with Vitor Meira also choosing not to pit. Two more cautions over eight of the following 12 laps kept him there until he pit on lap 31. From there, another caution trapped Tracy in 17th, and another pit stop and a miscue while trying to pass Simona de Silvestro later in the race put him back in 13th at the finish, the first car one lap down.

Power now has 377 points, ahead of Scotsman Dario Franchitti on 335 and Dixon, who is third on 299.

Dixon, who won the series title in 2003 and 2008, has another seven races to catch Power, starting with Indy Edmonton next weekend.
 

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