SCOTT

BIOGRAPHY

Scott
Biography

INTRODUCTION

The two-time IZOD IndyCar Series Champion (2003, 2008) and 2008 Indianapolis 500 Winner will contest the 2012 race season alongside four-time and reigning Champion Dario Franchitti. In 2011, Scott had two wins, two poles, 12 top-5 finishes, and 13 top-10 finishes on his way to a 3rd place finish in the Championship. 2012 will be his eleventh year with Target Chip Ganassi Racing - the longest tenure for a driver in team history (1990-present). The New Zealand native has 186 starts between the CART and IndyCar Series, producing 27 wins, 19 poles, 90 top-5 finishes, and 132 top-10 finishes (2001-Present).

PLANTING THE SEED

Dixon, like many before him, started his racing career in karting and captured two championships in the New Zealand Formula Vee series. After a successful racing career in Australia and New Zealand, including a championship in the class I Formula Ford Series and a "Rookie of the Year" award in the Australian Formula Holden Championship, Dixon moved on to Dayton Indy Lights series in North America. There he added another championship to his resume in 2000 for PacWest Racing with six wins, seven podium finishes, and one pole position. At the time, he was the second-youngest driver in history to win the Indy Lights title, just six days older than the late Greg Moore.

After his championship performance in 2000, Dixon received the call to move up to the CART Series in 2001. Dixon started the season by making a name for himself in Monterrey, Mexico, where he led 14 laps in his season debut. Just two races later, in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Dixon entered the record books by becoming the youngest ever winner of a CART race, or any major open-wheel race, by capturing his first victory at the age of 20 years, 9 months and 14 days. He followed that record-breaking performance by adding a podium finish of third at Milwaukee, and fourth-place results at Chicago, Road America and Laguna Seca.

RISE OF A CHAMPION

In his rookie Champ Car season, Dixon scored championship points in 11 of 20 starts and led the FedEx Championship Series in laps completed, with 2,521 out of a possible 2,610, and miles completed, with 4,351.217 out of a possible 4,520.983. He finished eighth in the championship with 98 points while capturing the “Rookie of the Year” honors along the way.

In 2002, Target Chip Ganassi Racing picked up the young driver after the PacWest team folded following the third race of the season. Dixon joined Target team drivers Bruno Junqueira and Kenny Brack for the Milwaukee race and put in a solid season that saw him amass 12 top-tens including a second place finish in Denver.

2003 was a storybook season for Scott Dixon. After a move to the Indy Racing League with Target Chip Ganassi Racing, the New Zealander began with a victory at the season-opening in Homestead, Florida, becoming just the third driver to win in his IndyCar® Series debut. Dixon continued to perform after his hot start and captured the series championship with 507 total points.

Dixon won the 2003 Championship with a 343 consecutive laps led, three wins, five pole positions and a total of 748 laps led. The young phenom took the checkered flag at Homestead, Pikes Peak, and led every lap in his victory at Richmond.

As the defending IndyCar Series Champion, Dixon performed consistently throughout the 2004 season, finishing among the top-10 in ten of 15 races with a second place finish in Phoenix, another top-five finish at the Indy Japan 300 in Motegi and capped off the 2004 season on a positive note with four straight races in the top-ten.

The end of the 2005 season finally brought a close what can be described as a difficult period in which the team’s championship contention had been hampered by reduced horsepower. Dixon, however, showed that he had not forgotten what it takes to finish first. He and the Target team celebrated a long awaited win on the road course at Watkins Glen in 2005 and still posted six top-10 results.