Scott Dixon

Dixon’s Road to IndyCar

After winning everything in New Zealand, Dixon moved to Australia to compete in Formula Holden, where he also claimed the championship. Thanks to an investment group, he was able to make the leap to American motorsport, joining the Indy Lights series with the team of former Formula 1 driver Stefan Johansson. With one win, two second places, and a third-place finish, Dixon ended the year fifth in the championship. Johansson would later become his manager. A year later, Dixon switched to the PacWest team and won the 2000 Indy Lights title with six victories.

Quick to His First Victory

In 2001, the New Zealander made his Champ Car debut with the same team. Already in his third race, in Nazareth, Dixon saw the checkered flag first, becoming the youngest Champ Car race winner at that time. Later that year, he also won the Rookie of the Year title and finished eighth overall. After PacWest went bankrupt early in the 2002 season, Dixon moved to a third Ganassi car. With that car, he finished second once and secured several top-10 finishes, ending the season in 13th place.

Switch to the IRL Immediately Yields First IndyCar Title

When Ganassi’s team switched to the IRL in 2003, Dixon followed, a decision that proved to be very wise: in his first IRL season, Dixon won the title with three victories and five second places. The following two years were much less successful. Despite these disappointing seasons, Dixon remained loyal to Ganassi, partly due to his success in the 24 Hours of Daytona, where he secured two victories for Ganassi between 2005 and 2013.

Resurgence and Second IndyCar Title in 2008

In 2007, success returned for the Ganassi team in IndyCar, with Dixon finishing second in the championship and securing four victories. In 2008, ‘Dixie’ won his second IndyCar title with six wins and seven additional podium finishes, including a highlight victory at the Indy 500. In 2009, Dixon narrowly lost the championship in the final race to teammate Dario Franchitti, despite five wins and five podium finishes, securing second place overall. In 2010, 2011, and 2012, Dixon finished third in the championship standings each year, continuing to be a formidable competitor with seven wins and thirteen podium finishes across those seasons.

Third Title and New Challenges

In 2013, Dixon won four races in the second half of the season, while his championship rivals lost significant points. With two additional second-place finishes, ‘Dixie’ claimed his third IndyCar title. In 2014, Dixon entered his twelfth IndyCar season with Chip Ganassi Racing, though the season was not as successful as the previous year. Despite being largely out of contention for the title, the New Zealander managed to win two races toward the end of the season and finished third overall after a challenging start.

Fourth and Fifth Titles with Ganassi Racing

The 2015 season was excellent for Scott Dixon, who finished in the top ten in twelve of the sixteen races and won three events. The last of those victories proved crucial: Dixon ended the season tied in points with Juan Pablo Montoya, but with one more win, he secured his fourth IndyCar title. In 2018, Dixon competed in his seventeenth consecutive season with Chip Ganassi Racing, bolstered by new title sponsor PNC Bank. The season started strong for both the new sponsor and Dixon, who went on to win his fifth IndyCar title.

Record Streak of Seasons with At Least One Win

In 2020, Dixon secured his sixth NTT IndyCar Series title after starting the season with three consecutive wins. In the following years, Dixon achieved fourth, third, and second-place finishes in the championship. Despite a slow start in 2023, he managed to win three of the last four races, extending his streak of seasons with at least one victory to nineteen!

With two victories in 2024, the then 43-year-old Dixon extended his incredible streak of seasons with at least one win to twenty. For much of 2024, he was a serious contender for the IndyCar title, but four poor results in the last five races dashed his title hopes. In the end, 'Dixie' dropped to sixth place in the championship.