There is no doubting Scott Dixon is one of our fittest athletes, and his training schedule emphasises that point.
Dixon is chasing a record-equalling seventh career IndyCar title this year. All at the tender age of 41.
He is one of the oldest drivers this year but is still one of, if not the fitness in the field.
To ensure he stays at peak condition, Dixon trains nearly every day.
“Everybody is a little bit different, but I think like any sport it has evolved so much,” Dixon said on ESPN St Louis radio.
“Probably the 50s, 60s and 70s, you see a lot of pictures of drivers smoking cigarettes and drinking beers. It was a lot more of a casual sport, but like anything, it has advanced a lot.
“My schedule is [I train] six days a week. Two hours in the morning and three of those days will have two hours in the afternoon as well.
“I base a lot of mine on triathlon training. So, a lot of swimming, biking, and running.”
IndyCar drivers often experience 5-6g of force through corners and even more racing on ovals.
Dixon’s neck needs to be able to withstand these forces to keep his head straight through corners.
“Some [muscles] are very hard to train,” he said.
“The neck is one of the hardest, I think, just because of the G-loads we get at some of the tracks.
“And then of course there is the steering wheel, and IndyCar is one of the last formulas that doesn’t have power steering. So, it is very heavy.”
Besides brute strength, Dixon also needs to have rapid reaction times during a race.
He says reaction-based training plays a significant role in his weekly routine.
“A lot of other advancements have come from in the way of reaction stuff.
“So, there is a lot of protocols with lightboards and sort of technical stuff that we use to keep sharp.”
Yet despite all his training, Dixon agrees there is still only one way to stay in perfect shape; and that involves sitting in the car.
“Unfortunately, nowadays, you don’t get to test or practice as much,” he said. “So, you are out of the car a lot more.
“You really have to try and train everything, and that is the hardest part.
“But you can never be as fit as driving a car all the time.”
Dixon is in Nashville this weekend for the Big City Music City Grand Prix.
