Brazil's Gil de Ferran, who retired after the race, bid farewell in style to win the race when it was stopped five laps short of the finish after a serious crash.

South Africa's Tomas Scheckter and Sweden's Kenny Brack made contact and crashed with 13 laps remaining at the Texas Motor Speedway oval.

Scheckter was unharmed but Brack's car spun upside down as it skidded along the track.

IRL 2003 RESULTS 1. Scott Dixon 507 2. Gil de Ferran 487 3. Helio Castroneves 485 4. Tony Kanaan 476 5. Sam Hornish 461

Brack was taken to a nearby hospital and was reported to be in a serious condition.

Dixon finished the season with 507 points, 18 more than De Ferran with Helio Castroneves of Brazil third at 485 and Brazil's Tony Kanaan fourth on 465.

Sam Hornish, who also had a title chance, fell to fifth after finishing 17th.

Dixon won US$1m and gave Chip Ganassi his first IRL championship after four titles in the rival Cart series.

"The accomplishment is so much," Dixon said. "I just can't put it into words. I feel so happy." De Ferran was aided by a fuel strategy that put him into the lead when caution flags halted competition and was delighted to bow out on top.

"It's unbelievable," de Ferran said. "It's nice to finish my career with a victory. It's more than I could ever dream of. It's a time I'm going to remember for the rest of my life. It has just been a wonderful thing."

Paul Tracy won the Mexico Grand Prix to build his lead in the Cart series championship.

Rookie Sebastian Bourdais was second while Mexico's Mario Dominguez finished third on Sunday.

Brazilian Bruno Junqueira finished seventh and now trails Tracy by 29 points in the championship.

Nascar

Nascar champion Tony Stewart overcame an eight-second deficit with fewer than 40 laps left to get the better of Ryan Newman in Saturday's Charlotte 500 race.

Stewart's Chevrolet went by Newman's Dodge to hit the front with six laps to go.

Jimmie Johnson finished third in another Chevrolet.

Stewart, the defending Winston Cup champion, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, was ahead for 149 of the 334 laps.

He relinquished the lead to Newman on lap 298 when he had to pit for fuel and tyres but Stewart's late charge allowed him retake it again.

Newman, who had started from pole, had won six out of the last 14 races for Penske Racing South.

Stewart's victory was his second of the year and his 17th overall in the series.

Winston Cup points leader Matt Kenseth was back on track in his Ford, finishing eighth after two disappointing races.

Kenseth's advantage over Kevin Harvick, who finished 10th on Saturday, is now 267 points with five races to go.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, who finished ninth, is third in the standings, 324 points off the pace with Newman in fourth a further seven points back.