Scott Dixon hoping for New Zealand motorsport history in 2023 Indycar campaign

Marcus Armstrong (L), Scott Dixon (C) and Scott McLaughlin (R) will all race in the 2023 Indycar season-opener in Florida on Monday. Photos / Getty, Photosport, AP

The 2023 Indycar season roars into life on Monday with more New Zealanders present than ever before and series legend Scott Dixon is hoping it yields an all-Kiwi podium lockout at least once.

Six-time champion Dixon will start the opening round in Florida on a grid that also features Scott McLaughlin and Marcus Armstrong.

Armstrong is a particularly notable feature for Dixon as he’s joined his own Chip Ganassi team to become the third New Zealander after Dixon and Earl Bamber (in their World Endurance Championship entry) to drive for the famous outfit.

With Armstrong driving their number 11 car for the road and street courses on the calendar, there are 12 opportunities to make New Zealand motorsport history. Dixon says Armstrong has already made an impression at the team as an off-season tester.

“I’m happy to see Marcus come over, I think he’s really going to love the environment. I haven’t been able to catch up with him too much... but he’s done a great job fitting in with the team,” Dixon told Newstalk ZB’s D’Arcy Waldegrave.

“A lot of things will be coming at him quite quickly as the season kicks off. The different style of racing in America; and the street courses are real street courses, as opposed to the European ones which are very smooth.

“I’m hoping at some point this year we can have a podium lockout with all Kiwis - myself, McLaughlin and Armstrong. That would be pretty cool.”

To make that happen, Dixon will have to overcome an off-season which has seen him have just two days in the seat of his 2023 car and the challenge of forming a relationship with a new engineer.

Dixon had two engineers during a 2022 season in which a pit-speed mistake at the Indy 500 most likely cost him a second trophy there and a seventh championship. This year he’s teaming up with one of the rising stars of the engineering world, Ross Bunnell.

Bunnell comes to Chip Ganassi after an impressive season with 2022 rookie David Malukas in which the youngster posted three top 10 finishes and one podium.

“We haven’t had a whole lot of time to work together, but he’s a really nice person, really great guy, really ambitious, lots of energy and really excited to be part of this team.

“I think we actually tried to hire him out of college 15 years ago... but we finally crossed paths, so I’m looking forward to that. It’s going to be a great, strong program I think, especially on the engineering side.”

With the 42-year-old as excited as ever about yet another Indycar campaign and two young Kiwis in McLaughlin and Armstrong looking to emulate his success, there’s never been a better time for New Zealanders to follow the competition.