Motorsports fans in general, and IndyCar fans in particular, were privileged to witness something special this season, and may not even realize it yet. Scott Dixon won his sixth IndyCar championship.
I know most of you fans already know this, but I’m here to make the case that it was something special, and why.
Now for you long-time IndyCar fans (yes, the old timers), I know that AJ Foyt won seven championships. And yes, that is special too. But I submit to you that winning multiple championships in the last 20-25 years in the IndyCar series is truly an amazing feat. These days the car is a spec car, the teams are stronger than ever and the parity of the competition is sick. It is not unusual for the top 20 cars to qualify within a second of each other. Remember, back in AJ’s day the cars were much less equal, and races were regularly led and won by a number of LAPS instead of fractions of seconds like many are today. This is not a judgement of AJ or his career. In fact, I think if AJ were in his prime now, he would be VERY competitive.
My point here is not to compare Scott and AJ, but to point out how tough it is to win ONE championship in the modern era. And it is truly special that Dixon has won six. He may be the perfect championship driver.
Scotts’ IndyCar stats in total are impressive; 25 poles and 50 wins in 335 starts, 6 championships, and 1 Indy 500 win. Very impressive. But to me the season titles are the most impressive. Now that’s not to say that Scott is just faster than any other driver on a given lap. There are plenty of others that are faster for a lap. Will Power’s 62 poles is proof of that. So, let me give my opinion of why Mr. Dixon has 6 championship trophies in his case at home.
Driving Skills
Let’s face it, no one wins races at the top level of any type of motorsport without possessing the skills to go fast. Scott Dixon most certainly possesses those skills. A driver can use those skills to be quick, but it takes more to win year in and year out.
Demeanor
The first time I met Scott Dixon I interviewed him back in 2003 when he had only been driving IndyCars for a couple of years. Although I had no clue what the future held for him, I recall coming away from that talk with the impression of a very calm and steady young driver who had just the right amount of confidence and humility.
Dixons’ nickname is “The IceMan” and with good reason. Unflappable in the most extreme of circumstances, (winning or losing, lucky or unlucky, fast or slow), that moniker fits him perfectly. He’s the most cool and steady driver in IndyCar. Unlike some others, he does not let circumstances dictate his performances. When things are going his way, he capitalizes on them. When things aren’t so great, he remains calm and makes the best of situation. He truly is steady and consistent. Always.
Commitment
Today’s racers at the top level of any series are committed. You don’t get there without dedication and laser focus. But Dixon is at another level. Over his entire career he has been fit and sharp. He takes care of himself, stays in peak condition, and maximizes all performance parameters. We don’t hear about it a lot like we do with say Tony Kanaan or Jimmie Johnson but, like all other aspects of his craft, Dixon goes about it quietly and efficiently. He has been, and still is, in peak condition even at the age of 40. His commitment is beyond question.
Intelligence/Racecraft
Often the intelligence of athletes and racing drivers is overlooked. There is a perception that a Tom Brady, LeBron James, Mike Trout or Cristiano Ronaldo just have better physical skills than the others. That is just not true. Intelligence in their chosen sport is a huge factor. They are VERY smart about what they do. Scott Dixon is head and shoulders the smartest driver in IndyCar and has been for a while. You can argue that with me if you like but I will stick to my guns on this.
In racing many things happen that are out of the control of a driver. They can be caught up in a wreck they had nothing to do with. Their pit crew can make a mistake (yes it IS a team sport). They can have a mechanical failure of the car. An untimely yellow flag can completely blow a fuel or tire strategy. Track position can win and lose races.
Scott Dixon is the best at making decisions during a race. He is the smartest at managing his fuel use and tire wear to have what he needs when he needs it. He knows when to conserve and when to go. He has an uncanny ability to be conservative at the right times and when to go balls out. This may in fact be his most valuable skill.
The 2020 season may be Dixon’s best in this area. Dixie went 1-1-12-1-2-5-2-1-5 in the first 9 races to build a huge points lead and looked to run away with the championship. But a pair of tenth place finishes at the Mid-Ohio doubleheader, and a ninth and eighth at the Indy road course doubleheader erased most of that lead.
Many drivers would panic or fold through a run of races like that while holding such a lead, but not the IceMan. It seemed like they missed the setup at Mid-Ohio and Indy, but Scott remained cool and was aggressive when he needed to be, salvaging as many points as possible.
At the season finale in St. Pete Scott started eleventh, giving Josef Newgarden a shot at possibly taking the championship. But if you watched that race you saw Dixon be aggressive and take calculated risks when he needed to ensure he would finish high enough to take the season points title. He proved once again he can be tough and aggressive and take chances, but only when the reward was worth the risk. Most drivers are not so disciplined. Or smart.
Team
In this area Scott Dixon has been very lucky. He joined Chip Ganassi’s team in 2002 and was running up front immediately. In 2003 Scott won the season opening race and his first championship. His fit with the Ganassi team was a fit right away.
Racing truly is a team sport and even the best driver on the planet can’t win with a team that gives them poor equipment, has sub-par engineering, makes bad strategy calls, or doesn’t keep up with ever changing technology.
Chip Ganassi Racing has remained strong through all the years of Dixons’ tenure and that is a huge part of his success. Strong sponsor partnerships ($$$), picking the right equipment (switching to Honda engines in 2012), and keeping a solid engineering corps are all very important parts of a winning IndyCar team and Ganassi has been solid in all of those areas. Scott was smart enough to stick around and take advantage of the success.
Also, it cannot be overstated how important Mike Hull’s leadership and race strategy has been to the Ganassi team and Scott’s success. His calm and steady hand is a big part of many of Scott’s wins.
Loyalty
As I stated in the “Team” portion of my analysis, Dixons’ Ganassi team is consistently strong. But the driver has to be smart enough to see that and take advantage of it. A racing drivers’ career is relatively short and the smart ones always keep an eye on positioning themselves with the best teams and equipment to ensure that they have the best chance of winning races. Scott Dixon has entertained multiple offers from other teams through the years, many of them for a LOT of money (McLarens inquiries in 2019 come to mind), and yet Scott stayed loyal to Ganassi and his team. Dixon was smart and made great career choices. There’s that word smart again.
Leadership
Dixon is not perceived as a great leader in the traditional ways. He’s not a Rah-Rah driver who rallies the troops. You don’t hear stories about him pumping up his team and crew. But what you do see is a team that, like their driver, is focused, committed, steady and follows their drivers lead. They know who he is and that his commitment and dedication won’t let them down. That is great leadership.
Luck
Yes, there is some luck involved in racing! Scott Dixon was lucky in partnering with a team that shared his goals and commitment early in his career, and even more lucky to stay that way for 19 straight years. Also, he’s been lucky to have avoided big wrecks and injuries that can slow or halt a career. The airborne incident at Indy in 2017 could have been MUCH worse for a few feet of movement closer to that wall while upside down. Very lucky indeed.
Conclusion
Scott Dixon is the best overall IndyCar driver in the series today. Period. His preparation and experience combined with that smart driving style are still an almost unbeatable combination. And at 40 he is still at the top of his game. We the fans are privileged to witness him showcase his mastery of his craft. We truly are seeing something special. Keep enjoying it because I don’t think he’s finished yet!
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