Dixon plays down rivalry with AGR

The 2003 champion was asked on Thursday if he was surprised that Tony Kanaan and others in Andretti Green Racing accused him of intentionally letting his car roll back in front of Dario Franchitti's after Sunday's IndyCar Series race at Detroit.

""No, not at all," he said. "I think with some of the races, the scenarios that have played out, with teams accusing each other of different things, is probably what has hyped it up, which is definitely good for the media."

The race to the championship among Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti, which will reach its conclusion this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, has included an unusual amount of vitriol between the two teams involved.

But during Thursday's press conference involving Dixon, Kanaan, Chip Ganassi and Michael Andretti, the mood was light.

"There has been a little more hype around it," Dixon said. "I don't think there's obvious reasons. Racing (against) Penske last year was a little different. I think everybody gets into it quite good. It definitely hypes it up. That's what it's all about."

Dixon trails Franchitti by three points heading into Sunday's Peak Antifreeze Indy 300. Kanaan is 39 points off the pace.

At issue are the accusations and bitterness tossed about between the teams after the past two races. In Sonoma on August 26, Dixon and Ganassi crew members were incensed by Kanaan's attempts to protect Franchitti at Dixon's expense.

On Sunday, Andretti and Kanaan accused Dixon of intentionally letting his car roll back in front of Franchitti's after Dixon spun out on the penultimate lap.

On Thursday, Dixon and Kanaan shrugged off the accusations, saying they are part of the game.

"We as teams and we as drivers are trying to play every card," Kanaan said. "The press talks a lot about what Scott said about me after Sonoma, what I said about Scott after Detroit.

"What they don't know is that behind the scenes we still hang out and we still laugh about it. We still respect each other a lot because, like Scott says, it's racing."

Dixon believes that the feud could even be good for the sport, as it generates more interest among the media and the fans.

"I will say it's different," he said. "I'd say a lot of it is probably because people fire at each other from opposite sides of the fence. I'd say that's what's been different. But I think it's positive, to be honest."