Scott Dixon wins controversial Honda Indy Toronto Race No. 1

Updated at 8 p.m. ET: Dario Franchitti penalty rescinded, restored to podium finish

After the race, INDYCAR officials met with Dario Franchitti and Target Chip Ganassi Racing team members to further review the blocking penalty issued on the final lap of today’s Honda Indy Toronto. The team presented car data showing steering trace and braking points from the Lap 85 incident with the No. 12 car driven by Will Power. The group also viewed additional video. Upon further review, INDYCAR has reinstated No. 10 Franchitti to his original third place finishing position.

Scott Dixon scored his second consecutive victory in the IZOD IndyCar Series and has now established himself as a legitimate championship contender after race No. 1 of the Honda Indy Toronto doubleheader.

Dixon survived a last lap restart, surging ahead of Sebastien Bourdais to win one of the wildest races of recent memory that featured a little bit of everything.

The event was hyped on the fact that Saturday’s race was supposed to feature a standing start instead of a traditional rolling start but the stalled car of Josef Newgarden came to a stop in the middle of the racing surface and dashed the plans before cars could even take their positions on the starting grid.

The standing start was aborted, setting the tone for a race chock full of controversy and unpredictability.

Dixon last took the lead on lap 78 using the first of two remaining overtake assists while Bourdais was powerless on used-up Firestone reds and without a push-to-pass to use in defense of the Target Chip Ganassi Honda.

The yellow flag waved one last time on lap 82 and IndyCar instituted a single-file restart in order to complete the race under green, allowing Dixon to surge ahead and pace his way towards victory lane.

“These doubleheaders are tough -- we got through Race 1. Just a crazy day,” said Dixon, who will start from the pole in Race 2 (3 p.m. ET Sunday on NBC Sports Network). “This is what we need to get the momentum going.”

Dario Franchitti was the polesitter for Saturday’s race and was originally scored third in the final rundown but an incident with Will Power in the closing laps forced IndyCar to charge him a 25-second penalty for blocking.

The move sent Will Power from fourth to 15th and the penalty dropped Franchitti from third to 13th in the final results. The penalty elevated Marco Andretti to third and Tony Kanaan to fourth but left Franchitti completely disappointed in race control’s decision.

“He chose a line, he couldn’t stop, he bounced off of me ... I just don’t know,” Franchitti said.

Helio Castroneves extended his championship lead from 23 points to 41 with a fifth-place finish in the 12th event of the season, combined with Ryan Hunter-Reay’s 18th-place result. Hunter-Reay encountered a myriad of problems, including stalling the No. 1 DHL Chevrolet twice leaving his pit stall and making contact with the Turn 3 tire barrier on Lap 79.

With his victory, Dixon has jumped to third in the standings and just 44 points out of the top spot.

The complete results for Honda Indy Toronto Race No. 1 can be found below: