Scott Dixon only wants two things from the final two IndyCar races this season, that being a pair of wins.
The Kiwi is 49 points behind championship leader and teammate Alex Palou heading into this weekend’s penultimate race at Laguna Seca.
He’s a long shot in the title race, given that he needs to leave this weekend still within 54 points of his championship protagonists.
But Dixon is remaining upbeat about his chances. That, and he is also thrilled to see the success of Palou this year.
“It has been an interesting season for us, but on the other hand it has been a fantastic season, especially for Ganassi,” Dixon said on the IndyCar debrief show.
“Palou and the No.10 car group have done a tremendous job and are much deserved [to be title leaders].
“We are still there with a chance. We will keep our head down, keep fighting and hopefully we can have a smooth weekend.”
Turbulent is a good way to describe Dixon’s 2021 season.
The moments of brilliance we’ve come to expect from the Iceman have sometimes been shrouded by mechanical issues, accidents and rare driver errors.
He says his 17th-place finish in the Indy 500, a consequence of an untimely yellow and stall in the pits, was perhaps the biggest blow to his championship aspirations.
“I think Indy for us was a huge bummer,” he said. “It was a huge loss of points. It was 60 points [to Palou] we lost in that one race.
“This season is crazy.
“Gone are the days of making a mistake in qualifying, and you drop four, five or six spots. Now, it’s 15 or 16 [positions].
“And gone are the small teams. Even if you look at a Coyne or [Ed Carpenter Racing], they are very well funded.
“It is great to see. We’ve got 27, 28-car fields right now, and they are stacked from the front to the back.”
Chip Ganassi Racing has been the powerhouse team this season.
All three full-time drivers remain in championship contention, with Palou the man setting the pace up front.
The young Spaniard has only one past season of IndyCar under his belt.
But, as Dixon points out, he has the mentality of a multiple series champion.
“Alex has done a tremendous job of being able to adapt [to the team]
“When you look at him, he is a super young talent. There was a big push for him from my side of the team to add him because you could see what was coming.
“The levelheadedness he’s had in tough situations, he has held himself very well and is racing like a multiple-time champion.
“It has been great to watch him learn.”
