Indy 500 not only tests drivers' heads, but their hearts as well

Scott Dixon emerged from a week filled with rain and delays to capture the first Indianapolis 500 pole of his racing career. Gavin Newman/Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS -- Scott Dixon was asked last Friday if winning the pole for the Indianapolis 500 is as big as winning an IndyCar race anywhere else?

The quiet but talented driver from Auckland, New Zealand scoffed.

"No," Dixon said. "It doesn't pay any points, man. For a driver if you can say you won the pole for the Indy 500, for sure it's a very big accomplishment. But to be honest, not many people remember who won the pole. They always remember who won the race, not so much the pole.

Twenty four hours later, after Dixon took to the race course with 2 and 1/2 hours left in Saturday's qualifications to knock Team Penske driver Ryan Briscoe off the pole, Dixon won his first Indy 500 pole with a four-lap average of 226.366 miles per hour.

Not surprisingly, his attitude about the magnitude of winning the pole for the Indianapolis 500 had changed.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet," Dixon said of winning the pole. "Indy for our team, our development, started well into the winter. I think all the guys on the team are adamant on putting up a strong fight for this year's 500. I think between the small group of drivers and obviously people like [team owner] Chip Ganassi that have raced cars before, it means a lot to them just because you're definitely right on the limit and giving it your all.

"It's definitely right at the top of accomplishments I've done."

The marathon six-hour qualification session played out under warm temperatures and sunny skies, which, combined with the recent unification of the IndyCar Series brought out the biggest crowd for Pole Day since the split began in 1996.

And at the end of what some call the fastest show on wheels, it was Dixon who heard the cheers from the fans after he achieved another big accomplishment of his IndyCar career, one that already includes the 2003 IndyCar Series title.

But there are many of items left on Dixon's career checklist, and one of them is an Indianapolis 500 victory. He came close last year, finishing second to Dario Franchitti in the rain-shortened race.

"They do remember the pole winner for these couple of weeks, but once you're the winner of the race, I think it overcrowds everything," Dixon said. "I think from a driver standpoint it means a lot to us because you know how hard you work for it, and I kept saying that yesterday, as well.

"I guess you get bragging rights for a couple of weeks, and that's about it. But I think starting on the first couple of rows is key to this race. If we can make it a little easier for us if at the start of the race, that's always nice. We'll just see what happens, but we see the big picture for us is still trying to win the '500' on the 25th."

Dixon, who was consistent throughout the rain-interrupted first week of practice and was considered a leading contender to win the pole, recorded the most consistent four-lap qualifying effort in Indianapolis 500 history. Dixon's four laps were separated by .0049 of a second. His quickest lap was 39.9656 seconds, while his slowest lap was 39.9705 seconds. The previous record was .006 of a second by Bobby Rahal in 1992.

"Today was a lot different because I think even on an average lap for us, we still had the field covered and I think that just shows how strong the team was today," Dixon said. "We could make runs today where we didn't think it was quite right but we could still be quicker than anybody else that tried to go out there.

"For a driver to know that you've got the equipment behind you and go out there and do it and you've got a clear shot between yourself and your teammate, that's a pretty nice feeling."

Dixon has long had the look of success since he arrived in big-time racing in the United States. He was the youngest driver ever to win in the former CART Series when he was just 20 years, 9 months and 14 days old when he took the checkered flag at Nazareth, Pa. in '01, a record that has since been broken by Marco Andretti in '06 and 19-year-old Graham Rahal on April 6.

When Dixon arrived in the IndyCar Series in '03, he won the series title in his first year and appeared to be on his way to Formula One after making short work of the competition in the United States. What followed was a disappointing season in '04 followed by a disastrous season for Target/Chip Ganassi Racing in '05.

Dixon was able to survive that season and began to rebuild his career the following season, remaining in the title race with teammate Dan Wheldon, Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr., who would go on to win the '06 IndyCar title. Last year, Dixon returned to title form and battled Franchitti to the last turn of the last lap for the IndyCar title before losing it when his car ran out of fuel coming to the checkered flag.