Scott Dixon sweeps doubleheader at Honda Indy Toronto

New Zealand's Scott Dixon is embraced as he celebrates winning the Honda Toronto Indy on Saturday 13, 2013. (CP / Michelle Siu)

TORONTO -- Scott Dixon swept the doubleheader at the Honda Indy Toronto after leading from pole to finish Sunday for his third straight victory.

Dixon was already set for a celebration after passing Sebastien Bourdais with eight laps to go to win the first race Saturday.

He was even better in the finale with a dominant performance on the 85-lap, 1.75-mile street course at Exhibition Place, finishing ahead of second-place Helio Castroneves and Sebastien Bourdais in third. It was Bourdais' second podium of the weekend after finishing second Saturday.

Dixon's car was so strong that there was a 22-second gap between his Target Chip Ganassi car and then third-place Will Power at the halfway point of the race.

The emphatic performance was punctuated by a pitstop on Lap 57 in which Dixon returned to the track still well ahead in first place. Dixon's lead over Castroneves was increased to an incredible 15 seconds 61 laps into the race.

That lead was finally nullified with 20 laps to go when James Jakes went into the wall and brought out the race's first full-course caution. On the restart six laps later Dixon held the lead. When Ed Carpenter went into the wall for another caution on Lap 80, Dixon again held the lead.

Dixon's victory was secured when Ryan Hunter-Reay bumped into Power on Turn 1 after the restart and Takuma Sato crashed into the back of Hunter-Reay, destroying all three cars. Dixon went on to win under a yellow flag.

The pair of victories earned Dixon a US$100,000 bonus cheque and moved him to second in the overall points standings behind Castroneves. Dixon had entered the weekend fourth overall after his win last week at Pocono.

The race has a reputation for resembling a demolition derby, but Sunday was notable for how clean it was.

Tony Kanaan's race was over when the Brazilian slammed into the wall on Lap 36 after taking the final turn onto the main straightaway too quickly, but his car went safely off track to avoid a caution and keep Dixon's lead intact.

James Hinchcliffe wasn't even on the starting grid when the race began.

A stuck throttle peddle kept Hinchcliffe's car from getting on the track, pushing him to the back of the field. By the time the fix had been made the Oakville, Ont., native was four laps behind the leaders and well out of contention, a major disappointment for the hometown favourite who had qualified 12th and finished Saturday's race in eighth place.

Alex Tagliani of Lachenaie, Que., finished 10th, one spot down from his ninth-place start.

One day after Josef Newgarden's stalled car nixed the anticipated standing start for Saturday's race, IndyCar officials tried again Sunday.

Carpenter, who had never done a standing start before, stalled in the back of the grid. But while the first standing start since 2008 was still a success, the first turn was costly for Dario Franchitti. The Scottish driver had qualified second but ran into the back of Power's car and needed to pit for a new nose.

It was the second incident of the weekend between Franchitti and Power. On Saturday, Power tried a late pass on Franchitti but went into a wall. Franchitti was initially penalized for blocking, but the decision was later reversed and he finished the race third.

Notes: Indy Lights driver Carlos Munoz replaced Ryan Briscoe for the race. Briscoe broke his wrist after colliding with Justin Wilson and Charlie Kimball in Saturday's race. ... Toronto Maple Leafs forward David Clarkson served as grand marshal for the race.