Dixon’s goal this year ‘to get the win’
Three Kiwis lining up on Indy grid
Three New Zealand drivers will be on the Indycar grid in 2024, including the reigning rookie of the year, a six-time champion and last season’s third placegetter.
Two of the Kiwis, Scott Dixon and Marcus Armstrong, race for the Chip Gannasi team.
Dixon finished second overall last year behind team-mate and series winner Alex Palou and Armstrong was the top rookie. The team became the first in Indycars history to boast the champion, runner-up and rookie of the year in a single season.
Alex Palou produced five wins and 10 podiums to clinch his second championship in his third year with the team.
Dixon finished second in the standings last season with 578 points, finishing off the campaign with three wins across the final four races on the year.
After the season-opening race in St Petersburg, Dixon will travel to Daytona where he will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame on March 12.
Dixon is set to become just the sixth driver to be inducted into the Open Wheel category while still actively competing.
He has finished on the podium in four of his past seven drives at St Pete.
Entering his 24th season racing in Indycars, 43-year-old Dixon earned his place as the series’ alltime Iron Man last season — now entering St Pete with 322 consecutive starts made, a streak that dates back to 2004.
He holds the Indycar series records with a win in 19 consecutive seasons and a win in 21 overall seasons.
“I’m really looking forward to the warm weather in St Pete where we can kick off the season. The race is always fantastic and last year, we had quite a good battle,” six time Indycar champion Dixon said.
“We made it to the podium then but the goal this year is to get the win. This is a big event for PNC Bank and all of our team partners, and then the Dan Wheldon documentary premiere, as well, so it will be a full weekend.”
Armstrong took out the rookie of the year title last season with 214 points despite racing exclusively in road and street course races.
The 23-year-old had his first Indycar race on the Streets of St Petersburg last year, where he finished 11th after beginning from 13th. He can’t wait for the season opener.
“St Pete is quite special to me, as it is where I made my debut. It is a fantastic city and the circuit is quite enjoyable. It will be a fantastic opportunity to return to a circuit that I am familiar with,” Armstrong said.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to have such things lately. I am quite optimistic and think the crew is in for a big weekend. We will fight hard to get the result that we want.”
The other New Zealander on the grid will be last season’s third placegetter, Scott Mclaughlin.
The 30-year-old Team Penske driver is heading into his fourth fulltime season Indycar and the 2021 rookie of the year has four career Indycar race wins to his name.
“I certainly don’t feel like the new kid any more, and I feel more like an open-wheel driver than a touring car driver now,” Mclaughlin said.
“I can finally at the start of the season focus on racing in some ways.
“I’m excited to hit the ground running hopefully at St Pete, a place that I love. I feel like we really finished the year strong last year and it is going to be important to start the year strong.”
Mclaughlin ended the 2023 season with 11 consecutive top-10 finishes, including three second place results.
“I think ever since I won my first race, I knew that every year after that, every year I come into the sport now, I’m going to have a legitimate shot, knowing that the tools I have at hand and where I am in my development as an Indycar driver,” Mclaughlin said.