FP – Series leader Will Power had to settle for fourth place in a bizarre IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix shortened because of peeling asphalt.

New Zealander Scott Dixon won the race from last weekend’s Indianapolis 500 champion Dario Franchitti to move into second place on the series standings, closing the gap to Australian driver Power.

Dixon finished 1.98 seconds ahead of Ganassi Racing teammate Franchitti for his 28th career IndyCar victory with Frenchman Simon Pagenaud third in a Honda-engine podium sweep.

IndyCar officials stopped the race after 45 laps over the 2.07-mile street course because chunks of patched asphalt in three sections of the 14-turn course were being ripped off the road by the force of cars in race conditions.

“We actually sucked the track up there was so much grip,” Scotsman Franchitti said. “If you see some of the damage on these cars, it’s not good.”

Canadian James Hinchliffe was knocked out of the race on lap 40 when his car struck a chunk of raised asphalt and sent his car into a tire barrier.

“I have never seen anything quite like this,” Hinchcliffe said. “These giant pieces of this tar that had been ripped up.

“I guess there was nothing they could do about it so they just let us keep running. It was like playing Russian Roulette and I just pulled the bullet.

“It’s unfortunate that it took us going out of the race to really realise it was a problem.”

Racing resumed after two hours of track repairs but Dixon held off his rivals to the finish line.

Dixon cut Power’s lead in th3e championship to 28 points.