Scott Dixon, the New Zealand racing driver now entering his 25th season with Chip Ganassi Racing, is determined to elevate his performance in the upcoming IndyCar season. Building on last year’s experiences, Dixon aims to challenge consistently at the front as part of his ongoing quest in the Scott Dixon championship pursuit.
Recently knighted by New Zealand, an honour that surprised him but holds deep personal meaning, Dixon embraces this recognition as motivation to continue pushing forward in his racing career.
I think as far as coming from your country, I’ve always loved and been very proud to fly the flag for New Zealand, and what it gave me as a young person growing up over there, and the support that I had from fellow Kiwis to get me to race in different countries has been huge,
Dixon said during media day.
Reflecting on Past Challenges and Driving Toward Victory
After a season that included setbacks and errors, Dixon and his team took time to analyze their performance and identify areas for improvement. Despite last year’s finish in third place in the championship standings, Dixon is unsatisfied and focused on winning races and titles.
I think last year was just a bit of a downer year for us,
Dixon admitted.
Lots of little mistakes here and there.
We had lots of things out of our control, as well, [but] I’m looking forward to it. We had a big deep dive in the off-season, and then there was lots of positives and things that we kind of already knew, and then definitely some bits I could have executed a little bit better on.
I think there’s a few things [on the] engineering side that we can definitely do better on, as well, for driving style differences and things like that. The pit crew stays exactly the same as last year. A couple small changes on the stand.
Highlights from the previous season included a win starting from ninth place at Mid-Ohio and six top-five finishes overall, yet Dixon remains driven by the desire to improve his standing.
Yeah, but third for me still sucks,
Dixon confessed, reflecting on his position behind Pato O’Ward.
“You want to be winning, so that’s all that really matters. It’s an interesting time because I remember clearly when I first came into the sport, and it doesn’t seem that long ago.
We’re very lucky to do what we do. I feel great to be in this position. But ultimately, you just want to win. Not many people remember who came third last year. They only remember the champion.
Respecting a Formidable Teammate and Competitor
Four-time champion Alex Palou, who is both a teammate and chief rival, exemplifies dedication and consistency in the series. Dixon acknowledges Palou’s impressive performance as the benchmark everyone is striving to surpass this season.
Yes, there’s some times where it’s like, that definitely rolled your way. That was one of those seasons. I’ve been in one of those seasons, too, where anything you do strategy-wise or the lap you choose in qualifying, it kind of just plays off.
Dixon also noted how Palou’s back-to-back championships have established
the standard right now and [the person] who everybody is chasing.
New Venues Add Fresh Dimensions to the Upcoming Season
The 2025 IndyCar schedule includes stops in Arlington, Texas, Washington D.C., and a return to Arizona, featuring a new slot at Markham, Ontario with a modified track layout. Testing at Phoenix Raceway revealed promising adaptability to the revised course and the potential for evolving race strategies on these tracks.
Both Alexander Rossi and Dixon completed 20-lap runs during testing, noting the impact of the second lane becoming usable and tyre behavior uncertainties that could affect race dynamics.
If you get a full field doing it, it could transition pretty quickly. The other thing, too, is how the [NASCAR] Cup tyre reacts to Firestone [tyres] is really a big unknown, as well.
Dixon highlighted the uniqueness of the Phoenix track’s layout, explaining that
it makes that big straight [a] single lane a little bit just with how you can place the car and nobody can go around you. But if that second lane comes in, it would be a game changer.
Adjusting to Canada’s Shift from Toronto to Markham
After several years racing on the streets of Toronto, the IndyCar series will relocate the Canadian round to Markham as part of a new five-year agreement. Dixon expressed mixed feelings about leaving the well-known Toronto circuit but is optimistic about the new venue’s potential.
It’s a shame, I think, with losing the one there by the convention center,
he said.
But I’m excited there’s a new place, and I think they really did their homework on the demographics and understanding where people are coming from and where they’re coming from locally or from different areas outside of Toronto.
Dixon has claimed four victories in Toronto, with his most recent triumph in 2022, and he hopes to translate his success to the new Markham track while pursuing improvements in his overall championship position.
