Dixon Marches to Win Under Mid-Ohio Sun

Brandon Dixon, the current leader in points, started Mid-Ohio’s race one in the pole position. Having bunched the field nicely, they received the green flag and they raced into turn four.

Dixon seemingly broke early into turn four and that gave LaRue a clear shot down the inside of Dixon. LaRue took the lead, Dixon to second, and Dobbie to third. Jenks, second in series points, crossed the line fourth.

For LaRue though, it was short lived, at the end of the back straight on just the second lap Dixon steamed backed by. It was a no-contest out brake in turn four. At the line, the top three were evenly spaced. Jenks in fourth a bit further back, Newey, and Everard followed close making fourth through sixth respectively.

At the point, Dixon shoveled coal, LaRue did everything he could to respond. The gap was half a second, the two running virtually the same times. Dobbie now started to fall back into the clutches of Jenks, it seems Jenks is able to up his game at a better rate. From third to seventh, there’s less than two seconds covering them.

Dixon and LaRue hammering on, LaRue registers the fastest lap of the race. Fourteen laps remain, plenty of time for all sorts of shenanigans. The battle for third remains tight, Dobbie gets wide over turn five running about half a car width off apex, that lets Jenks get a small advantage. There’s only five tenths of second between the two, and Brandon Newey is just three tenths behind Jenks. Reece Everard and Harry Voigt in sixth and seventh respectively churn on, they are in striking distance of a top five finish should there be a slight error from the drivers ahead.

With eleven laps left, Dixon has found a little bit of something that LaRue is blind to. The gap has stretched to its largest yet, just eight tenths of a second between them. Andrew Dobbie continues to lead the pack that is the fight for third, he’s fallen a full five second off of Dixon, but he now has more than a second in hand over Jenks. Newey is now closing on fourth place Jenks, and Reece Everard shows he’s not giving up by running his fastest lap of the race thus far.

At the front, Dixon clocks the fastest lap of the race and extends his lead further. Nine laps remain. One lap later, LaRue responds by taking the fastest lap of the race and the gap once again closes a bit. Dobbie now looking pretty safe in that third spot, but without a major failure for first or second this is all he will get. For fourth place Jenks, the heat is on. Newey in fifth, Everard in sixth, and Voigt in seventh all run personal best lap times. Jenks now just four tenths of a second ahead of Newey in fifth.

Five laps remain, Dixon now eking away. He reset fast lap of the race, meanwhile LaRue made an error, the gap grew to more than two seconds. Dobbie plugging away in third, but giving away timevto fourth place Steve Jenks. He’s not in danger yet, but with Brandon Newey knocking hard on Jenks’ door, the two are slowly and surely closing in on Dobbie.

Three laps to complete, the top three looking pretty secure. The race for fourth however slams on. Brandon Newey isn’t giving Steve Jenks even the slightest room to relax. Jenks gets loose off of turn four, Newey continues to plot, surely a move will come soon.

Two laps to go, Jenks locks up a front tire, white smoke billows off the inside front. Jenks collets the car up, but the damage is done. Jenks lost some momentum and Newey gets around Jenks on the outside of turn five. Still side by side, it’s Newey securing the fourth spot on the entry of turn six.

The white flag flying, just one lap to go. Dixon now way out front, LaRue motoring in second, Dobbie in third, Newey enjoying that hard fought fourth, Jenks in fifth, and Reece Everard in sixth.