BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Scott Dixon has been runner-up in each of the three IZOD IndyCar Series races at Barber Motorsports Park. So is that good news or bad?

“I don't know what's more unfortunate, finishing second there every year or finishing second to Penske,” the two-time series champion replied.

So, though he’s appreciated the championship points haul, the competitor doesn’t relish finishing behind Team Penske’s Will Power (race winner in 2012, 2011) and Helio Castroneves (2010) – or anyone.

“We're in the game to win,” added Dixon, driver of the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car. “We go every weekend to win the race, and that's even if you've had a bad start to the weekend like we did (at the St. Petersburg opener). “Obviously, we would love to win at Barber. It's a fantastic facility and a great track and a great crowd.”

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The large crowd last April watched as Dixon, who started third, led a field-high 38 laps on the 2.38-mile, 17-turn course. He first took the lead on Lap 27 after the first round of green flag pit stops and led two other times in the 90-lap race. Power took the lead on Lap 75 and went on to a 3.3709-second victory.

In 2011, Dixon and Power also were among the Firestone Fast Six participants. Power, who started on the pole, swept the 90 laps and took a 3.3828-second victory. In the inaugural event, Dixon finished .5703 of a second behind Power the pole sitter. Dixon had started fifth.

“I think last year was probably more the disappointing side in the fact that we led a lot of laps, the car was fast,” Dixon said. “On the last 15 laps Will and I sort of split from the field and I finished second.  Both our cars were definitely capable of winning the race. It just kind of depended who fell out of the pit stop exchange ahead, and that's kind of how it played out.”

Dixon enters the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama off a fifth place in the season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., gaining 15 positions over the 110 laps on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn circuit. He tied Johnny Rutherford for 14th on the all-time Indy car list with his 99th top-five finish.

The trio of runner-up finishes at Barber has helped Dixon into a tie with Castroneves and teammate Dario Franchitti for eighth on the career Indy car list with 29.  His next victory will break a tie with Rick Mears (29) for 10th. The Barber circuit is quick and physically and mentally challenging.

“It’s a track that a lot of teams get a fair bit of testing so the competition, even as we saw at the (mid-March) Open Test, was very close and very tight,” Dixon said. “We hope to practice well, qualify well and get some valuable points.

“But obviously trying to win there would be much more pleasing than the last three years of finishing second.”