Born Racer: Risk and reward
Emma Davies-Dixon holds her breath. For a few brief yet agonising seconds – that feel like a lifetime – she fears her children have lost their father. That she could be a widow. Thankfully, Scott Dixon soon emerges from his wrecked IndyCar. He’s shaken to the core but a fractured ankle is his only injury from the horrific 2017 crash at the Indy 500 that unfolded at more than 220mph.
Born Racer – the Scott Dixon Story is a classic tale of risk versus reward. The rewards are monumental but so is the risk.
Born Racer, directed by Bryn Evans and produced by Matthew Metcalfe, offers unprecedented access into the world of Dixon, his family and the Chip Ganassi Racing IndyCar team.
It’s not long into the 90-minute cinematic documentary that the dangers of IndyCar racing become extraordinarily real.
During filming for Born Racer, the crew gets much more than it bargained for with Dixon’s horrific crash and so will the viewers when the movie premieres in New Zealand on October 25.
Dixon is arguably one of New Zealand’s biggest international sporting stars but many in this country know little about him. Born Racer does a commendable job of lifting the lid on the world of Dixon.
Unlike some sporting documentaries, it does not shirk the real issues. What, if anything, fell on the cutting room floor at the discretion of the Dixon family or Chip Ganassi Racing will probably never be known by the masses. But Born Racer does offer a genuine experience that few would ever get to see.
Death and danger are a constant.
Since Davies-Dixon married her husband in 2008, two IndyCar wives have lost their husbands.
It’s something she thinks about a lot, but rarely does she utter the words. She doesn’t want to put fear in his head.
Away from the media who were there to cover one of the world’s most famous car races, Davies-Dixon can be heard saying: ‘‘I genuinely thought that was it. I thought that was my turn.’’
Davies-Dixon, who plays a staring role in Born Racer, reveals during one of the many emotional moments that she has only seen her husband cry once.
That was in 2011, when one of his close friends and fellow racer Dan Wheldon lost his life after a crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Dixon narrowly avoided the 15-car pile-up – the worst crash he has ever seen.
Four years later, Englishman Justin Wilson was killed when he was struck by a piece of flying debris during a race at Pocono Raceway in August 2015. Dixon was just two cars ahead of Wilson.
The threat is real.
Born Racer shows the viewer a different side to racing. The team meetings, the work that is involved long before the race car even makes it to the track and the enormous cost involved.
There is no happy ending in Born Racer, which was filmed in 2017, but Dixon did return in 2018 to win his fifth IndyCar championship.
Dixon, a widely respected racer, comes across in Born Racer much as he does in any interview. A highly intelligent and humble man with an eye for detail, discipline and a gigantic drive to achieve success.
Dixon puts his heart and soul into each and every race but he expects the same from every member of the Chip Ganassi Racing team.
Dixon might be polite but he’s a straight shooter too.
Born Racer shows another side to the ultracompetitive yet usually calm Dixon that has previously been hidden away.
Known as the ‘‘Iceman’’ for his ability to not flinch under pressure, the documentary features two expletive-laden outbursts from Dixon over the team radio.
Ever respectful, when the race is over, Dixon apologises.
The mutual respect between Dixon and his team is obvious.
A family man, Dixon clearly thrives on the balance his daughters Poppy and Tilly bring to his life. But it is clear who his biggest influence is.
Davies-Dixon is a former 800-metre runner who represented Great Britain at international level.
The Welsh native understands the demands on professional athletes. She gets what it takes and what makes Dixon tick.
She understands why he is constantly looking for some sort of edge on his rivals and why he will sacrifice almost anything to get it.
There is nothing of the stereotypical WAG about Davies-Dixon. When Dixon talks about her influence, his words are nothing but sincere.
The earlier influence of Dixon’s parents, Glenys and Ron Dixon, is detailed in interviews and rarely sighted family footage of Dixon’s early go-kart days.
Ron talks of working 45 to 50-hour weeks before going home to put the same amount of time into Scott’s racing endeavours in the early days.