Scott Dixon: Driven to greatness
Unassuming Kiwi star closes in on historic title triumph
New Zealand won’t stop and celebrate a Scott Dixon IndyCar victory on Monday as it would a Rugby World Cup crown but, as a nation with a proud motorsport history, it probably should.
Just after lunch on Monday (NZT), Dixon could become just the second driver to win five IndyCar championship crowns.
The chubby kid who shot to fame in New Zealand for his Formula Vee championship victory at the age of 13 when at Greenmeadows Intermediate School, in Manurewa, is now a man.
In fact, he’s now in reach of becoming THE man when it comes to IndyCar racing.
Surely even Dixon’s biggest supporters, of which there were plenty, did not foresee the likeable driver – who holds the reputation of being one of the nicest guys in IndyCar – turning into the champion driver he is today when he left New Zealand two decades back.
AJ Foyt, an American motorsport legend, has seven championship titles combined in America’s leading open-wheel class that has run over several different titles -USAC, CART, Champ Car and now IndyCar. He dominated the sport between 1960 and 1979.
Behind Foyt are a four-way tie of drivers with four IndyCar crowns: Mario Andretti, Sebastien Bourdais, Dario Franchitti and New Zealand’s own Dixon, whose championshipwinning seasons came in 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2015.
If Foyt hasn’t done it in American motorsport, it hardly seems worth doing – midget cars, sprint cars, four Indianapolis 500 victories, a NASCAR Daytona 500 win and triumphs in both the Le Mans 24-hour race and the 24 Hours of Daytona race.
But could the 38-year-old Dixon catch Foyt’s seven wins, or even better it?
It seems unlikely but it wasn’t that long ago Dixon winning even four titles seemed absurd.
Renowned for being one of the fittest and most determined drivers in IndyCar, he hasn’t missed a race since 2004 and recently became just the ninth and youngest driver to compete in 300 races. He’s got durability on his side.
Dixon, who joined Chip Ganassi Racing partway through 2002, agreed to a new multi-year deal with the team last month. The 2019 season will be his 19th straight but he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
It is possible he could at least match the greatest of them all but achieving his fifth championship this season would significantly increase his chances of at least equalling Foyt’s all-time record.
If Dixon can clinch his fifth championship at Sonoma in California on Monday, it’s hard to comprehend that the Kiwi kid, who left New Zealand with little more than a dream, would be chasing down Foyt on the all-time honours board.
Or is it?
Dixon’s 44 career race wins in IndyCar mean he only trails Foyt (67) and Mario Andretti (52) on the all-time list for most wins.
He is the most successful active driver and if he can win the 45th race of his career at Sonoma it would have to rank up with his 2008 win in the Indy 500.
Even a second-place finish would
see him claim the championship.
Dixon leads the championship with 598 points, 29 ahead of Alexander Rossi (569) with a further 58 points back to Will Power (511).
However, with double points on offer at the season finale at Sonoma Raceway, 100 points will go to the winner so if Dixon fails to finish or is back in the pack, his championship
hopes would be dashed.
Known as The Iceman, Dixon seems almost immune to feelings of pressure or nerves. A handy trait to have given his 2018 championship situation heading into the final race of the season.
Sonoma has previously been a happy hunting ground for Dixon with victories in 2015, 2014 and 2007.
IndyCar 2018 standings (one double points race remains):
He has won three races in 2018 but it is his consistency that has helped him maintain his series lead in the back half of the season.
The epitome of what a professional race car driver should be, Dixon rarely strays from his consistent ways.
But what Dixon’s done in 16 races this season will all be forgotten by the time his New Zealandbased fans chomp into lunch onto Monday.
Be it for the right or wrong reasons, Sonoma may well be the only race Dixon fans remember from 2018.
At a glance
❚ Scott Dixon 598 ❚ Alexander Rossi 569 ❚ Josef Newgarden 511 ❚ Will Power 511 ❚ Ryan Hunter-Reay 462 ❚ Simon Pagenaud 428 Final race: IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma, Sonoma Raceway, California; Monday, 10.30am-1.30pm.