Scott Dixon claimed to remember little about his last race at Portland International Raceway, a visit 16 years and four championships ago.
Should he win a fifth IndyCar title this season, his return to the Pacific Northwest will be one he never forgets.
The New Zealander salvaged his championship run on Sunday with an improbable comeback that made the championship his to lose as Australian Will Power, one of his challengers, could only finish 21st after a crash in Portland.
Dixon finished fifth, far behind race winner Takuma Sato, but put together the kind of drive that may define his season after starting 11th, overcoming a first-lap crash and a penalty for speeding on pit road.
He moves on to the season's final race next weekend with a 29-point over Alexander Rossi.
"Huge day for the team, feels like a win for us," Dixon said.
"The points, whatever it is, is not a huge amount."
Rossi had a decent race but was cycled out of the lead because of cautions and finished eighth.
"It's one of those days. We had a fast car," Rossi said.
"Our tyre strategy was going to plan and everything was good until the yellow came on lap 56.
"It hurts a lot, and hopefully, it's not something that costs us the championship."
Ryan Hunter-Reay nearly caught Sato over the final two laps but wound up second.
Sebastien Bourdais, the last winner of an open wheel race at Portland in 2007, was third.
Team Penske drivers Power and Josef Newgarden started on the front row and are the only other drivers capable of winning the championship.
Newgarden, the defending series champion, finished 10th and is 87 points behind Dixon.
However, it was a terrible day for Power, the Indianapolis 500 winner.
He had a mechanical problem eight laps into the race when leading and later went off course into a tyre barrier.
He's tied with Newgarden for third in the standings.
"I think on the warm-up lap before the green, something happened to the gearbox. It jumped to neutral, I went into emergency mode and made it go into gear," Power said.
"I'm not sure the gearbox would have made it the whole race. It's a tough sport. Now, we just go to Sonoma, have fun and win.
"And hopefully, have a good day, have a good finish to the year."
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