Scott Dixon took the lead after Tony Kanaan crashed last night and went on to win the first race of the new era of American open-wheel racing.

Dixon, who lost the IRL IndyCar Series championship when he ran out of fuel on the last lap of the 2007 season, got off to a great start with a victory in the Gainsco Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami, Fla., Speedway.

Kanaan came out of the last round of green flag pit stops in the lead and appeared well on the way to a victory until Ernesto Viso, a rookie driving for one of the former Champ Car World Series teams that just joined the IRL, spun on the 193rd of 200 laps.

As Viso slid broadside across the track, Kanaan tried to duck around him but hit with the right front of his Dallara Honda, knocking his tire askew.

Kanaan stayed out front for several laps behind the pace car, but ducked into the pits as the green flag waved on lap 197, giving up the lead to Dixon, who won for the second time on Homestead's 1.5-mile oval.

"We were catching [Kanaan] quick and that was the best part about it," Dixon said. "It would have been close at the end.

Marco Andretti finished second, followed by Dan Wheldon, who had won the last three Homestead races for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, and Helio Castroneves.

David Reutimann is still adjusting to his new ride. Reutimann moved from the No. 00 into the No. 44 for Michael Waltrip Racing this week. The car was driven in the first five races by Dale Jarrett, who then retired.

"Sometimes I don't even know I'm driving the car," Reutimann said yesterday, one day after practicing and qualifying the No. 44 in 15th place for today's Goody's 500 in Martinsville, Va.. Practice gave him a few moments that highligted the adjustment.

"I'm out there blending in on the race track and Michael [McDowell] went by us and I'm like, 'That's my car! Somebody is driving my car!' It's hard to get used to."

McDowell is driving Reutimann's old ride, the No. 00.

He also has Reutimann's points after NASCAR turned down a request that Reutimann be allowed to take his points with him when he switched, with McDowell getting Jarrett's.

Dennis Setzer took the lead when Kyle Busch had to brake to avoid a crash, then held on through numerous restarts to win the Kroger 250 Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. The win was the first for Dodge since the late Bobby Hamilton won at Mansfield in 2005.

Odessa native Alan Bradshaw and the three other No. 1 qualifiers from Friday night retained their top spots yesterday in the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), Kurt Johnson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) rounded out the No. 1 qualifiers.