Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon says that the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is in a healthy spot and that there are a lot of great changes coming down the line about the Hybrid it needs to be reliable and in reality, we can’t get everything done at once.
Speaking during the content day, Dixon said that it has come to the point where the series cannot accept new entrants due to limited engine leases available. The six-time series champion says that there are great sponsors in the series which has helped the growth of the series.
Speaking about the expansion of Chip Ganassi Racing from four to five full-time cars for this season, Dixon said that there are a lot of moving parts to that and he hopes that the team is in a position to challenge for the championship and Indianapolis 500 wins.
Speaking to Paddock Eye about the return of Milwaukee to the schedule, Dixon said:
Excited to go back to Milwaukee. I don’t think I’m super excited about a double-header on another short track. But that’s the way it is. I’m excited to see how the partnerships work. I love the circuit. I love the track. I love how difficult it is. There’s so many positives. I just hope it’s a great execution. I think it’s going to be a fantastic show. It’s just hoping that we can have a sellout and make it what it’s worth. I think we have a great kind of roadmap with what they’ve done in Iowa with Hy-Vee and things like that, so if we can create partnerships like that, it’s going to be huge. But I love the circuit. It’s cool.
When asked about the Million dollar challenge that will take place at The Thermal Club, Dixon said:
I haven’t heard — I don’t think they’ve finalized a lot of the stuff, just how they’re going to break it down. The difficult part I think if the feature race becomes a sprint race, it’s going to be — unless you’ve got a super soft tire that degrades a lot, then that will create some action. It’s not a track that’s going to be easily passable, so maybe you’ll be waiting for some mistakes and things like that. I don’t know. I think that the idea is great and I think it’s an idea that could really expand in other areas, especially new circuits that we go to, maybe off-season stuff. I think the platform is really good. We’ll just have to see how to make it work well to make it the spectacle that it needs to be. But kudos to everybody that’s been involved to create something like that, and it’s the starting point, so I think everybody is really excited for it.
The Iceman will start his 24th season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES from March 8-10 with the 2024 season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg presented by RP Funding.