Dixon eyeing second title.

With six races in the next eight weeks 2003 IRL IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon is poised to begin a run similar to that which carried him to the title three years ago and figures there are plenty of opportunities for him to recapture the title.

Fresh off his victory in last Sunday's Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix the Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver goes into the busy summer stretch lying second in the standings just a dozen points behind Helio Castroneves.

Dixon, who was the runner-up to Castroneves on the streets of St. Petersburg in early April, posted his fifth consecutive top-10 finish with his win at the 3.37-mile New York road course.

"You put so much time and concentration on winning Indy, it's so anti-climactic when you don't walk away with a win," said Dixon, who started fourth and finished sixth in the May 28 race but who now heads the place where he was crowned IRL Champion in 2003, the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway. "I think after that race is over, all you want to do is win the championship."

Indy 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr., who finished 12th at The Glen is third in the standings. Dixon's teammate, reigning IndyCar Series champion Dan Wheldon, is fourth.

"We've definitely put ourselves back in it," Dixon said. "I think it's both teams pretty much at the moment to fight for that championship."

The undulating 3.37-mile, 11-turn Watkins Glen International circuit was a challenge after three weeks preparing and racing on the flat 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. The inclement weather made it more challenging.

"The cars were tough to drive," said Dixon, who took the lead for good after a restart with nine laps remaining by passing Rahal Letterman Racing's Buddy Rice exiting turn one. "You knew there was going to be a lot of yellows just because of the conditions."

Conditions vacillated between a wet and drying racing surface, necessitating teams to decide when and if to switch between rain tyres and slicks. Both Dixon and second place finisher Vitor Meira kept the slicks on, though the final five laps were competed under a mist in the South end of the circuit and a drying surface in the North.

"With the slicks, as soon as they cool off when you drive through a little bit of a puddle, they lose so much grip," Dixon said. "I think it was hard for all of us to know how hard you can go into that next corner because you're not really sure if the car is going to do it."