Six-time IndyCar champ Scott Dixon aims for more milestones at Rolex 24 at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A normal man approaching his mid-40s might welcome lots of weekend downtime.

Not to call Scott Dixon abnormal, but let’s say he’s hard-wired for speed and action and not big on idle hours. That explains why he’s looking very forward to the coming weekend’s Rolex 24 and why he’s happy to see the three-day test weekend shrink in his rear-view mirror.

“The time leading up to the race is tough,” he said during yet another long break Saturday afternoon at Daytona. “There are three other drivers and you don’t get a lot of time in the car, but once the race starts, it’s hectic. It’s hard work.”

And guess what.

“I love it,” Dixon said through an always ready smile.

He should love it. The Rolex 24 has been quite a successful side-hustle for the six-time IndyCar champion — three overall victories and an additional class victory, all with Chip Ganassi Racing. Dixon and IndyCar teammate Alex Palou will join IMSA racers Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais in piloting Ganassi’s No. 01 Cadillac GT Prototype in the 2024 Rolex.

It’ll be the New Zealander's 21st Rolex start and his two decades here have produced plenty of big changes in the sports-car universe, and a bit of evolution within the cars.

“The difference now, the technology has changed a lot,” he said. “The race itself is still as much fun, the cars are just a little more advanced and a little trickier.”

ALEX PALOU Two-time IndyCar champ settles in with Ganassi Racing, adds Rolex 24 at Daytona to his wish list

For Scott Dixon at 43, physical prep work is still fun

There seems to be little change in Dixon, however. He remains in peak fighting trim as his 44th birthday awaits in the spring.

“I think the only thing that changes a little bit is recovery,” he said of the personal fitness arc. “I always felt like the training side for me has been an enjoyment as well. I’ve always done triathlons or things like that, a competitive environment that creates a good balance for racing.

“I enjoy the lead-up and the prepping side of it as well. In some areas, I’d say I’m more improved now than when I came in. In some other areas, I’ve maintained.”

Dixon’s three overall Rolex wins have come with a variety of teammates from a variety of racing disciplines.

In 2006 he teamed with Casey Mears and the late Dan Wheldon. In 2015 his co-drivers were Tony Kanaan, Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray. In 2020 he shared the winning ride with Ryan Briscoe, Kamui Kobayashi and van der Zande.

Just six racers have more overall Rolex wins than Dixon — two have five and four have four — but none of them were mere dabblers in sports-car racing, making the Rolex an infrequent visit to the road-course world.

In recent years, Dixon has usually raced Daytona in January and Sebring in March, and IMSA’s Road Atlanta finale (Petit Le Mans) in October after IndyCar has concluded its season. 

It’s the March-through-September months Dixon has used to build one of the greatest careers in auto racing: 55 IndyCar wins, including the 2008 Indy 500, and those six championships.

A.J. Foyt, with seven IndyCar titles, remains one-up on Scott Dixon

The six titles have him one behind A.J. Foyt for the most in Indy-style racing, and also one behind a roster of greats from other forms of racing who got to seven and stayed there — Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson from NASCAR, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton in Formula One.

Since winning his sixth championship in 2020, he’s finished fourth, third and second at season’s end. He’s aware of that magical seventh title hanging out there, but doesn’t want to get hung up on it.

“There are always goals,” he said. “A second Indy 500, seventh championship, more race wins. It’s week to week, really. Stats are something that hopefully you look back on and you’re happy with. But it’s not something you totally focus on.

“The tempo changes when you get to milestones because everybody starts talking about it. It’s been a long time since anybody has won six in IndyCar. Since …. myself.”

After a brief pause in a weekend filled with long ones, he serves up a thought familiar to anyone with an ounce of competitive juices.

“The things you think about, mostly, is not the wins but the losses,” he said. “I can think of two or three championships that could’ve changed quite easily. But you know, I feel lucky.”

Racers with three or more Rolex 24 overall victories

Five: Hurley Haywood, Scott Pruett.

Four: Pedro Rodriguez, Bob Wollek, Peter Gregg, Rolf Stommelen.

Three: Scott Dixon, Brian Redman, Andy Wallace, Butch Leitzinger, Derek Bell, Juan Pablo Montoya, Memo Rojas, Christian Fittipaldi, Joao Barbosa, Helio Castroneves.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Scott Dixon aims for 4th Rolex 24 at Daytona win, 7th IndyCar title