Motorsport: Scott Dixon out of IndyCar contention but Scott McLaughlin eyes rookie prize

Scott McLaughlin. Photo / Getty

Knocked out of the IndyCar title race on Monday, Scott Dixon has shifted from contender to wingman heading into this weekend's final round.

Now the Kiwi can't win a seventh championship, the next best outcome for 2021 is to help teammate Alex Palou claim his first crown.

Dixon's hopes were dashed at the Grand Prix of Monterey. Struggling to find speed all weekend, he was again hurt by bad luck and finished 12th in the penultimate race of the season. Sitting fourth in the standings 49 points behind leader Palou, Dixon's tilt at the championship unravelled mid-race when a spinning Takuma Sato hit him, ending any chance of him winning the race.

Dixon is now 72 points off the lead and out of the championship race heading to Long Beach this weekend. He is, however, the perfect man to help Palou and his Chip Ganassi Racing team win the series.

Dario Franchitti, a four-time IndyCar champion and a driver adviser at Chip Ganassi Racing, reckons Dixon will be on hand to ensure Palou can win his maiden championship.

"Scott was the perfect wingman [when Franchitti was trying to win his titles]. He said 'I've got your back' and he really did. I think he's already said [to Palou] 'whatever you need, I'm there,' and that's great," Franchitti told Motorsport.com.

"Scott's been good with Alex all year. He's been helping him, he's not been holding anything back. That's actually surprised me, there's not been any kept secrets. Everybody is showing their hands, which is nice, and it's great for the team."

This will be the 16th consecutive season the IndyCar title has been decided on the last race. Although Palou has a healthy 35-point advantage on Pato O'Ward, with 50 points up for grabs, nothing is certain.

Just ask Juan Pablo Montoya, who lost a championship to Dixon on a countback in 2015. Palou must finish 11th or better if O'Ward wins.

Dixon has had several drivers as teammates since Franchitti retired but none has pushed him as hard and consistently as the young Spaniard.

"I think he has benefited from having Alex in the team because it's been a while since he's had someone really pushing him from within consistently."

If Palou wins in 2021, he will become IndyCar's youngest champion since Dixon in 2003. Also by winning, Ganassi will have amassed 14 titles, just shy of Penske's tally of 16.

While Dixon is out of the title race, the other Kiwi in the field, Scott McLaughlin, is in with a chance to win the Rookie of the Year award.

McLaughlin has been a revelation on ovals considering the former Australian Supercars champion had never raced on one before heading to IndyCar. His adaptability to the oval tracks has gone a long way to securing his 20-point lead over fellow rookie Romain Grosjean.

However, the Frenchman spent 10 years in Formula One, so is no stranger to single seaters. To clinch the title comfortably, McLaughlin just has to finish in front of Grosjean and he'll also become the first Penske driver to claim the award that dates back to 1979.

If McLaughlin wins the rookie title, it should be remembered he's not only an IndyCar new boy, he's also a single-seater rookie.

The Kiwi had no past experience racing open wheelers, having gone straight from karting to tin tops.

Heading into the last race, McLaughlin is 13th overall, ahead of such IndyCar luminaries as Sebastien Bourdais, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Helio Castroneves and James Hinchcliffe.