Scott Dixon on his future, Cart's direction and his close to home race...

[Jay]

This was from speedtv.com...No big news or anything, but some interesting comments.

As CART’s youngest-ever race winner (at Nazareth Speedway in 2001, at the age of 20 years, nine months) , Scott Dixon is representative of the precocious driving talent Champ Car racing is trying to build its identity around. Which makes rumors of his possible move to the IRL next season with Target/Chip Ganassi Racing all the more frustrating for CART fans.

The Ganassi squad recently picked up its option on Dixon’s services for next season, having rescued him from the implosion of the PacWest team earlier this year, although the specifics of its 2003 racing program remain obscure. The New Zealander admits his future is not really his to decide at this point, although he says a return to the Champ Car ranks would be his first choice.

“Basically the contract has been taken up for next year, so we're contracted to Ganassi,” explains Dixon. “He's still yet to release basically what he's doing next year. We'd obviously like to stay in CART but it is in Chip's best interest, obviously, to keep his sponsors and it's what they choose to do. I am sure probably in a couple of weeks there will be a release of what is going on.”

Regardless of where the road takes him next year, Dixon is looking forward to a strong finish to his Champ car season, starting with the closest thing CART offers to a home race for the New Zealander—the Honda Indy 300 at Surfers Paradise, Australia, on Oct. 27.

“Obviously it is always a fun race to go to,” he says. “Australia is known for that. The weather is always good and things like that. The circuit, I don't know. It's kinds of strange—people like it or dislike it.

“The biggest thing in Australia is the braking in Turn One. There is a lot of time made there. Obviously, you have got to set up the car, but the corners are wide there where you've got a lot of curbing you've got to jump. And, you've got a lot of 90-degree [corners], so you have got to have good change of direction. It's hard to compromise that with a good platform for something that rides the curbs pretty well.

“The circuit, going down towards, I think it's the south end where you have two lefts, they are pretty straightforward. And coming on the backstraight down into that left/right, that's always a pretty easy corner to sort of cut straight, basically because it's hidden. You can't really see it. It's a lot harder than you think. Then you have got the faster chicanes further on down the backstraight, where I think is probably where most of the time is made. Then you have just got a series of 90s and left, left and then a right—all those are pretty straightforward street course stuff.”

Straightforward or not, such street courses are where Dixon reckons CART needs to hang its hat for the future.

“I think the street courses, you know, it's a good fan base and it's easy to get people interested, because they see the action going on even before the race, with setting up the circuit, and it gets a lot of interest. I think for CART that's basically what they need to do. Then you have got the road courses like Elkhart Lake and Mid-Ohio, that have their own fan base.

“I think the ovals probably don't play a big part in CART's future,” Dixon asserts. “They need to go to more downtown cities and overseas. You go to Australia or even the Canadian [races], they are just huge. They make it more of a carnival; the atmosphere is a lot nicer. And, you know, you go to some circuits, some of the ovals, like Milwaukee, nobody really turns out. They don't really know what is going on.”

Dixon admits he gets a special satisfaction out of performing in front of a local crowd.

“Generally, it's nice to prove that you can actually do it,” he says. “With places like New Zealand and Australia, you get a lot of the “small poppy syndrome,” where people try to, in some ways, put you down because they are not going to the same lengths or improving in levels of racing like you have. So, the attitude changes a lot once you get there. You find out you automatically have a lot more friends than what you thought you did have and maybe they are only there because they want something.

“But, I think the attitude changed a lot and it's good—it helped the country. I think there are a lot of talented drivers down there, and I just hope that people can sort of help them out the same way I got help.”

[Tailwind]

It's good to see that his preference is in CART. He won't see any home races in the IRL.

[macdaddy]

The following is considered "politically correct":

“Basically the contract has been taken up for next year, so we're contracted to Ganassi. He's still yet to release basically what he's doing next year. We'd obviously like to stay in CART but it is in Chip's best interest, obviously, to keep his sponsors and it's what they choose to do. I am sure probably in a couple of weeks there will be a release of what is going on.”

Translation:

"When Chip saved my butt after I lost my ride, I basically had to sign over my soul. And now I'm expressly forbidden from telling you anything other than the fact that I'm driving for him next year. I'm not allowed to tell you that 'this is ruining my career' or 'I never saw this coming' or anything like that. All I can say is that we'd obviously like to stay in CART but it is in Chip's best interest, obviously, to keep quiet until the season is over, or else risk the fans' wrath at the remaining few races. And I must use the word 'obviously' in all of my press releases. So it has been written.

[tanalised]

It's going to be gutting when Scott goes to the IRL; I only hope that something else transpires. He's 22, obviously gaining confidence especially on street courses, and is going to disappear off to race in front of nobody in East Hillbilly, Texas.

[Liz]

Autoweek says he and Tomas Scheckter will be driving in invisible circles next year. A confidential source says this is mainly because Bruno absolutely refuses to sign over HIS soul to the dark side.

[BootsOntheSide]

Mac's got it there I think. The only consolation for Scott is that the standard of competition in IRL is increasing, next season he will face Andretti, Kanaan, Franchitti, Castro-Neves, de Ferran and more from CART, and his team (with Penske, Mo Nunn and, to an extend, A-G) will have a big advantage over Panther, Hemelgarn and co. Whether this makes up for losing local support, not having to turn right, and the feeling of having your soul traded like a second hand CD on eBay is in his own mind.

[Liz]

I guess someone probably promised him an F1 test too.

[paul-collins]

I'm wondering, with all these drivers getting tests, are they going to count rides in the two-seater Minardi and three-seater Arrows? That would clear the backlog pretty quickly.

[kev]

Hmmm, Would be a pity for us Kiwi fans not to get to see him race in our time zone (almost).

[Tiresmoke]

Liz, Autoweek also said that AJ Allmendinger would be driving a champcar with a new team next year.

CART may not let Dixon go, they paid Ganassi 1.7M to run him this year, could have picked anyone, they chose Dixon.

[Emfa]

Originally posted by Jay
This was from speedtv.com...No big news or anything, but some interesting comments.

Precocious????? :confused: That's a bit rich isn't it? Scott never struck me as being the precocious type. Where did that come from?

[Liz]

Main Entry: pre·co·cious
Pronunciation: pri-'kO-sh&s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin praecoc-, praecox early ripening, precocious, from prae- + coquere to cook -- more at COOK
Date: 1650

1 : exceptionally early in development or occurrence
2 : exhibiting mature qualities at an unusually early age

I'd say that described Dixon to the proverbial "T", myself.

[Emfa]

Fair enough then. I guess I had this part of Webster's definition in my head: "... too forward; -- used especially of mental forwardness; as, a precocious child..." I can now see that the description is rather apt.

[Liz]

Yes, the word has "drifted" to usually mean a smart aleck brat. But as you point out, that definition does not fit him at all.

[The Snout]

Good bloke Scott, met him once briefly at a Formula Holden race, decent guy. Hope he stays in Cart.

[greg.n]

So chip will probably go to the IRL with coors on board but wait? They did sponsor Hemelgarn and they sponsor Chip in Nascar. What happens if chip runs a car in Coors colours and a car in Target colours in the IRL and continues to run a car or two in CART. It still could happen. And all the people who rubbished him for going to the IRL will have yellow yolk running down their faces.

[f1manoz]

Scott going to the IRL would be another waste of driving talent. Look at the amount of talent going to waste already going round in circles...

How could you call that challenging in those cars?

[tanalised]

from champweb:

Dixon ****ed!
Our sources have told us that Scott Dixon is so disappointed if Ganassi forces him to go to the IRL that he will sit out 2003. He especially wants to race in Australia next year and his father is trying to do everything in his power to get the option that Ganassi picked up, declared null and void

[Jay]

That wouldn't surprise me at all... poor guy.

[greg.n]

I don't believe everything I have read on Campweb, although I am gutted that Scott may not be in CART next year. i actually thought his contracr was with Toyota, in which case it doesn't surprise me that they want to keep him for the IRL. Maybe one of Chip's conditions for taking him on was an option on his services for 2003. Ganassi did say last year he was more keen on Scott than Gidley or Bruno but McCaw wouldn't release him for a ton of money. I just don't understand mcCaws attitude. He wanted the drivers but wouldn't put the time of effort into making the team work.

[tanalised]

he's more interested in yachts isn't he? or is that his brother?

[Liz]

The difficulty with sitting out an option year is that the courts (at least in Canada) have declared that it doesn't constitute "serving out your option" and when you come back you will still owe them that year. But if you have a driver who doesn't want to drive for you, isn't that dangerous? (Of course he could turn into Damon Hill and just park the car because he thought there was a funny noise or something.)

[Speedworx]

Chris Pook is conviced Ganassi will run 1 car in CART next year and I think so too.

Ganassi will run Scott Dixon in a Coors Light car, IHMO.

[macdaddy]

If that turns out to be the case, I think maybe Coors will stay in the IRL and Target will continue their presence in CART.

[Liz]

From what confidential sources tell me, Target emphatically wants to stay in Champ Cars. That is why Ganassi put the pressure on Bruno to sign with him ... or one reason anyway. Bruno doesn't trust him and neither do I.

I hope he does run a car in Champ Cars and I hope Dixon drives it. I like Dixon.