LOS ANGELES -- The IZOD IndyCar Series championship duel between Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon and Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves will be played out Oct. 19 in the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway.

It's the eighth consecutive year that the IZOD IndyCar Series championship will be decided in the final race, and it's the sixth year in a row that a driver from Team Penske will compete for the title. The team last earned the series title in 2006 with Sam Hornish Jr.

A Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver – either Dixon or Dario Franchitti -- has claimed the championship four of the past five years.

Scott Dixon and Helio CastronevesDixon takes a 25-point lead into to 250-lap twilight race on the 2-mile D-shaped oval (8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network), but here's an interesting note: he's the last championship points leader entering the finale to close the deal. That was in 2008, when Dixon led Castroneves by 30 points heading to Chicagoland Speedway (the final gap was 17 points). In 2003, Dixon's other title season, he and Castroneves were tied entering the finale at Texas Motor Speedway.

"Each year is very different the way the points shake out, but it always seems to come down to the last race, the last lap, the last corner," Dixon said. "I'm just pleased to be in contention because it is so competitive in the IndyCar Series these days."

The principals gathered Oct. 17 at L.A. Live for a final round of interviews and photos, including with the Astor Cup that will be presented to the champion following the race.

“I know he’s strong enough mentally because he’s been in these situations,” Castroneves said of Dixon. “But who knows what could happen. It's going to be an exciting weekend at Auto Club Speedway. We had a very fast Auto Club of Southern California car at the Fontana test a couple of weeks ago and we go into this weekend with a lot of confidence.

"I have all the faith in the world in my team and I know we are capable of getting the job done on Saturday night. Everyone should make sure they are watching, because I have a feeling this is going to be an awesome race."

Practice and qualifications are Oct. 18. Real-time Timing & Scoring augmented by the IMS Radio Network broadcast is available on www.indycar.com and the INDYCAR 13 app for all sessions and the race.

The full schedule (all times Eastern):

Oct. 18 -- 1:45-3:15 p.m. practice
               5:15 p.m. qualifications (7 p.m. on NBC Sports Network)
               9:05-9:35 p.m. practice

Oct. 19 -- 8 p.m. MAVTV 500 on NBC Sports Network

Oct. 20 -- 8:30 p.m. INDYCAR Championship Celebration streamed live on www.indycar.com and INDYCAR 13 app.

Of note

* With one race to go, the 2013 points battle is the largest since 2008 when first and second were separated by 30 points. The average points deficit with one to go since 2005 is 13.

* Castroneves has nine starts at Auto Club Speedway with a best finish of fifth in 2002 and 2013. Dixon has six starts at Auto Club Speedway with a best finish of second in 2003. He finished third in the 2013 race.

* Castroneves has 16 oval victories (2001-Indianapolis; 2002-Phoenix, Indianapolis; 2003-Gateway, Nazareth; 2004-Texas 2; 2005-Richmond; 2006-Motegi, Texas, Michigan; 2008-Chicagoland; 2009-Indianapolis, Texas; 2010-Kentucky, Motegi; 2013-Texas).

* Dixon has 18 oval victories (2001-Nazareth; 2003-Homestead, Pikes Peak, Richmond; 2006- Nashville; 2007- Nashville; 2008-Homestead, Indianapolis, Texas, Nashville, Kentucky; 2009-Kansas, Milwaukee, Richmond, Motegi; 2010-Kansas, Homestead; 2013-Pocono).

* Four of Castroneves' wins have come on superspeedways, while two of Dixon’s wins have come on a superspeedway.

2013 IZOD IndyCar Series Points Possibilities: DOWNLOAD (PDF)

1st Place: Scott Dixon - 546 Points
Finish Points Total with 1
Bonus
Point		 with 2
Bonus
Points		 with 3
Bonus
Points		 with 4
Bonus
Points
1 50 596 597 598 599 600
2 40 586 587 588 589 590
3 35 581 582 583 584 585
4 32 578 579 580 581 582
5 30 576 577 578 579 580
6 28 574 575 576 577 578
7 26 572 573 574 575 576
8 24 570 571 572 573 574
9 22 568 569 570 571 572
10 20 566 567 568 569 570
11 19 565 566 567 568 569
12 18 564 565 566 567 568
13 17 563 564 565 566 567
14 16 562 563 564 565 566
15 15 561 562 563 564 565
16 14 560 561 562 563 564
17 13 559 560 561 562 563
18 12 558 559 560 561 562
19 11 557 558 559 560 561
20 10 556 557 558 559 560
21 9 555 556 557 558 559
22 8 554 555 556 557 558
23 7 553 554 555 556 557
24 6 552 553 554 555 556
25 5 551 552 553 554 555

2nd Place: Helio Castroneves - 521 Points
Finish Points Total with 1
Bonus
Point		 with 2
Bonus
Points		 with 3
Bonus
Points		 with 4
Bonus
Points
1 50 571 572 573 574 575
2 40 561 562 563 564 565
3 35 556 557 558 559 560
4 32 553 554 555 556 557
5 30 551 552 553 554 555
6 28 549 550 551 552 553
7 26 547 548 549 550 551
8 24 545 546 547 548 549
9 22 543 544 545 546 547
10 20 541 542 543 544 545
11 19 540 541 542 543 544
12 18 539 540 541 542 543
13 17 538 539 540 541 542
14 16 537 538 539 540 541
15 15 536 537 538 539 540
16 14 535 536 537 538 539
17 13 534 535 536 537 538
18 12 533 534 535 536 537
19 11 532 533 534 535 536
20 10 531 532 533 534 535
21 9 530 531 532 533 534
22 8 529 530 531 532 533
23 7 528 529 530 531 532
24 6 527 528 529 530 531
25 5 526 527 528 529 530