6-time IndyCar champ Scott Dixon talks going for No. 7, his future teammate, Jimmie Johnson

“Six sounds a lot better than five with championships,” Scott Dixon said about his latest IndyCar championship.

Scott Dixon is now a six-time IndyCar Series champion —and one title away from tying racing legend A.J. Foyt’s all-time record.

Dixon didn’t need to win Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to claim another championship. The 40-year-old Chip Ganassi driver finished third behind race winner and fellow title-contender Joseph Newgarden, but Dixon was crowned the champion because he earned more points in the championship hunt.

A Ganassi driver throughout his career, Dixon’s first championship was in 2003, and he won again in 2008, 2013, 2015 and 2018. He won four races in the 2020 season.

For The Win sat down with Dixon, virtually, Monday morning following his championship win about the season, the giant trophy and his future — which includes being teammates with NASCAR’s seven-time champion, Jimmie Johnson, who’s retiring from full-time NASCAR at the end of the 2020 season.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Have you had a chance to get any sleep get any rest at this point?

Honestly, you know, we went later to just grab a bit of food around maybe 8:30 and then a couple of drinks. But I think we were back in the motorhome and asleep by probably 11:30 or 12. It was it was actually a really physical race [Sunday]. The temperature was pretty high. I think it was almost an all-time high for this time of year here, almost 90 degrees. But it was so humid. So I was definitely pretty worn out as far as hydration, so I shut it down pretty early [Sunday] night.

Little bit different of a celebration than when you won your first championship?

Very, very different. I kind of remember blips of that night in 2003, and it was definitely a pretty wild night. But yeah, I think recovery at the age of 23 was much easier at the age of 40.

When you look at six championships, how do you how do you view that and as you continue to establish your place in IndyCar history?

It’s a testament to the team, and obviously, been part of this team for 19 years going into my 20th season next year with them. And I think the adversities this year for everybody has been crazy. Did we even think there was going to be a season? I feel super lucky and super privileged that I get to race cars, for one, [because of] the NTT IndyCar Series, with the help of NASCAR, I think, with the protocols with COVID and things like that.

So it does feel very special to win in a season like this. Even for the first race when you’re in Victory Lane — bring a mask, and you’re celebrating by yourself. It was just the bizarre-ist scenarios that were very new situations for all of us.

But you know, six sounds a lot better than five with championships. So it feels amazing. It hasn’t really sunk in too much yet, just to really sit back and capture the season. The competition that we have nowadays — it’s just it’s through the roof, and so to do it as a team has has been phenomenal.

Chip Ganassi and Scott Dixon in 2003. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

You mentioned COVID and other complications that we’ve seen this season. When you look at it in that context, how does this championship compared to others?

It’s funny: I think championships is kind of like having kids. You love them all equally, but but they’re all very different. And their personalities are different and the achievements and how you actually enabled it.

But for me, this year was way more stressful than others. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever led a championship from start to finish. We had a 117-point lead at one stage, and that dwindled to under 20. Obviously, there was there was almost a period of trying to stop the bleeding.

It’s a year that none of us are going to forget. But for me, this championship, I think, is really special for a lot of those scenarios.

Are you already eyeing AJ Foyt’s record seven IndyCar championships?

Seven sounds a lot better than six. So yeah, absolutely. You try to soak up situations like this a little bit. But we start testing again this week at the speedway and then the following week in Alabama. It just kicks off quite quickly. So we’ll need a little bit of time to analyze the season, obviously dig deep through what we need to make better.

But, yeah, goal No. 1 next year — or two goals, as always: First, win the Indianapolis 500, and secondly, try to win a championship. So we’ll definitely be trying hard to pull both of those off.

Is that trophy heavy? Is it hard to pick it up?

It’s very heavy. I don’t know what it weighs. It’s gotta be 50, 60 pounds. And when you’re done after a two hour race of mayhem and heat exhaustion and things like that, and they’re trying to tell you to lift it over your head, you’re like, ‘OK, you know, get it, get the picture quickly.’

But it’s so amazing, the Astor Cup, and how they brought that back into the cycle of IndyCar racing. There’s this long history and long story there. But yeah, I think I prefer just sitting there and giving it a good kiss. That’s, that’s the best situation for me.

I don’t think you can take the top off. You need to be able to take that off, so you can pour some champagne in there or some beers and drink out of it. But it’s definitely a pretty sweet trophy.

Next season, you’re getting a new teammate in Jimmie Johnson, and you have 13 championships between the two of you. He’ll be learning from you quite a bit, but are there things that you can teach each other next year from one champion to another?

First of all, it’s fantastic. I can’t believe Jimmie, with all that he’s done, and he still has the drive. I think [it’s] not necessarily an age thing, but after all his accomplishments to take on such a big battle — it’s going to be a very steep mountain.

But already I can see just how competitive the guy is. You can see why he’s a seven-time champion. The intensity is insane. We haven’t even done a test together yet. I’ve gone to one of his tests, and he’s done some simulators. But the way he’s trying to kick out his training level to reaction stuff and everything involved, he tries to cover all the bases, and that’s why he’s been so good and so competitive. It’s really big for for IndyCar. I can’t wait to spend more time with him.

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