Dixon taking his place among IndyCar legends, more notes

Scott Dixon clinched his second IndyCar Series title Sunday. AP

JOLIET, IL -- Scott Dixon will be the first to admit he is a far different individual than when he won his first IndyCar Series title in 2003.

That year, he was new to the series, didn't like racing on ovals and was a reluctant competitor after having moved over from CART with Target/Chip Ganassi Racing. After clinching the championship in '03, he said the cars drove like "crap." Suffice to say, he didn't seem to be a strong advocate of the series.

Five years later, Dixon has changed his opinion.

He is probably the most loyal driver in IndyCar and one of the most staunchest defenders of the series. In past years when IndyCar's best drivers, such as three-time series champion Sam Hornish Jr. and last year's title winner Dario Franchitti left for NASCAR, Dixon had no interest in leaving for stock cars or going to Formula One.

The IndyCar Series has become his racing home and the driver from Auckland, New Zealand, had his greatest season in 2008, winning a record-tying six races, including the biggest of them all, the 92nd Indianapolis 500 in May.

By clinching his second IndyCar Series championship in Sunday's PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, the 27-year-old Dixon believes there are more championships to win in IndyCar.

"Absolutely," Dixon said. "I said to Chip [Ganassi, his team owner] just now, that's number two and we've got many more to come."

How times have changed, not only for Dixon as an individual but for the IndyCar Series in this year of unification.

Franchitti's foray into NASCAR didn't quite turn out as well as the Scotsman expected and he has jumped back to IndyCar where he will be Dixon's teammate in 2009. Television ratings, attendance and awareness all increased this season, mostly because IndyCar racing is whole again.

And by winning a title in the first year of unification, Dixon was able to beat the best and prove that he is the best at a track where he lost the 2007 championship in the last turn of the last lap to Franchitti, who was then driving for Andretti Green Racing.

"It's a testament to Scott," said Mike Hull, the managing director for Target/Chip Ganassi Racing. "It's a dedication to the men and women at Chip Ganassi Racing, what they did after coming back from Chicago last year.

"Oftentimes people spiral into 'Never Never Land' when you get beat like he had got beat last year here at Chicago. We actually took Monday off last year, but we were working on Tuesday. Everybody in the building, we got together and dedicated ourselves to do what he saw this year."

"You know, [this year] means a lot more than the championship in 2003," Dixon admitted. "I think this year is much tougher. I think after '04 and '05, it makes you, I guess, cherish things a lot more, definitely race wins just as a whole, but a championship much more."

Dixon exudes a quiet self-confidence that can be felt when he enters a room. In the past, he was downright shy and avoided the spotlight at all costs. Today, Dixon is comfortable with its bright glare.

He was married in the offseason to his beautiful wife, Emma, who knows something about speed herself as she was a champion hurdler for Great Britain before the London native fell for the quiet Dixon from New Zealand.

"I was a little worried when he got married," team owner Chip Ganassi said. "You think, 'gee' but what it has done is it made him such a great guy off the track, and it really focused him on the track. It just kind of put everything in focus for him."

It's been quite a year for Dixon, who was married in February, won the Indy 500 in May and the IndyCar championship in September. His charge for the championship actually began in 2006. Since the start of that season, Dixon has 42 top-10 finishes in 48 races with 12 victories, 36 top-five finishes and has led 1,405 laps.

Since the Richmond race in June 2007, Dixon has 21 top-five finishes in 26 races including 10 victories, 23 top-10 finishes and has led 1,089 laps.

He is just the second driver to win multiple IndyCar championships joining three-time title winner Hornish.

It is also the fourth-straight year the winner of the Indianapolis 500 has gone on to win the series championship, tying a record from 1967-70 when A.J. Foyt ('67), Bobby Unser ('68), Mario Andretti ('69) and Al Unser ('70) accomplished both.

Now Dixon is proving that his name belongs in the same company as those IndyCar legends.