‘I let down so many people’: Scott Dixon still wrestling with bitter loss in 106th Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS – Scott Dixon remained dejected Monday night about the mistake that crushed his hopes of a victory when he exceeded the pit lane speed limit by 1 mph on his final stop in the 106th Indy 500.

“What makes it so hard for me is I let down so many people,” Dixon said during the Indianapolis 500 Victory Celebration at the JW Marriott Hotel. “The saving grace was Marcus winning that and making it successful.”

Marcus Ericsson, Dixon’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, was feted for his victory in Sunday’s Greatest Spectacle in Racing, earning $3.1 million from a record purse of $16 million. A huge contingent of Chip Ganassi Racing’s 160 employees (along with many family and friends) gathered Monday morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for celebratory photo ops around the track.

But while the team could revel in its success, it still was hard to ignore the effect of the latest Indy 500 disappointment for Dixon.

He started from the Indy 500 pole position for the fifth time and led a race-high 95 of 200 laps, becoming the all-time lap leader in Indianapolis 500 history. But after controlling much of the race, his hopes of a second Indy 500 victory were dashed after serving a drive-through penalty for the Lap 175 speeding violation.

It was the fourth consecutive time (and second consecutive year) that Dixon had started first without winning. He finished 21st and collected a check for $707,000 after arriving late to Monday night’s ceremony.

The six-time IndyCar Series champion notably skipped the red carpet area where the media interviewed drivers before the formal dinner and program. As salads were being served, there was still no sign of Dixon. An Indianapolis Motor Speedway employee tried texting Dixon but did not get a