Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon and Marcus Armstrong enter this weekend’s IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg looking to launch their seasons with success.
Dixon has won on 27 different tracks over his illustrious career but has yet to finish on the top step in St. Petersburg, having finished second or third on seven occasions from his twenty starts at the venue.
This weekend’s race further adds to his record Iron Man streak of 322 consecutive race starts, dating back to 2004. He has taken a win in at least one race over each of the past 19 seasons, another IndyCar record.
“I’m really looking forward to the warm weather in St. Pete, where we can kick off the season,” said Dixon. “The race is always fantastic, and last year, we had quite a good battle. 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, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, is looking forward to returning to a venue he is now familiar with, having impressed for 11th in last year’s event.
The Kiwi charger gained 15 positions from start to finish over the five street courses raced in 2023, the fifth-most among drivers in that span.
“St. Pete is quite special to me, as it is where I made my INDYCAR debut,” he said. “It is a fantastic city, and the circuit is quite enjoyable. It will be a fantastic opportunity to return to a circuit I am familiar with. I haven’t had the opportunity to have such things lately.
“I am quite optimistic and think the No. 11 Ridgeline Lubricants crew is in for a big weekend. We will fight hard to get the result that we want.”
Joining Armstrong and Dixon at Chip Ganassi this year are defending champion Alex Palou, new signing Linus Lundqvist and rookie Kyffin Simpson.
“St. Pete will mark a new year with new challenges, but also a new livery and a new partner with DHL,” said Palou. “We’re very excited about that, and we just rolled it out in Sebring, where it looked amazing on track.
“I’ve never won at St. Pete, and this is a great opportunity to start the year strong by winning the opener and checking that racetrack off our list.
“We’ve worked very hard this offseason, and we feel prepared to continue on the path that we started creating in 2023.
“We want to defend the title, and the best way to do it is to start things off by winning this week.”
Kiwis Tom Blomqvist and Scott McLaughlin will also compete in this weekend’s race, while Callum Hedge debuts in Indy NXT and Liam Sceats in USF Pro 2000.
Live coverage of the IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg begins at 2.10 am on Monday on Sky Sport 5, with qualifying at 8.00 am on Sunday.
