All hail the king: Kiwi Dixon could be GOAT

Tributes are rolling in for Scott Dixon from media around the world who suggest the Kiwi driver is Indycar’s best of all time.

Dixon became just the second five-time Indycar champion yesterday.

Indystar Sports tweeted an article from local Indianapolis motor racing writer Jim Ayello, who was in awe of the Kiwi’s latest accomplishment.

He suggested Dixon now ranked above several other greats including American-italian Mario Andretti, American Al Unser and Brit Dario Franchitti.

‘‘Now that it’s done, maybe in a couple days Scott Dixon will allow himself to reflect on what it means to be a five-time champion. Maybe he’ll begin to consider what it means to know that his name isn’t merely listed alongside so many other greats – Andretti, Unser, Franchitti – but above them in many respects.

‘‘Maybe he’ll sit back and appreciate the fact that with his second-place run Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, he became the only man not named AJ Foyt to have won five Indy car championships,’’ Ayello wrote.

The New Zealander also won titles in 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2015, all with Chip Ganassi Racing. He’s the longest tenured driver in Ganassi history and helped the team owner cap a strong organisational weekend in which Ross Chastain won Nascar’s Xfinity Series race, Kyle Larson finished second in Nascar’s opening playoff race and Dixon gave him a 12th Indycar championship.

Ayello continued: ‘‘On Sunday, Dixon surpassed legends in what can only be described as the most Scott Dixon way possible: cool, calm and collected. Starting second in Sunday’s race, the Ice Man drove flawlessly, taking few chances and making no mistakes en route to a finish just behind race winner Ryan Hunter-reay.’’

Indycar Series cheekily tweeted that it was a lucky omen there had been a large amount of sheep near the Sonoma Raceway.

‘‘I don’t know if anybody noticed on the banks with all the sheep that were around here. That’s always a good omen I think . . . I actually visited with a few of them last night, just gave them a hello. That was all.’’