Scott Dixon “quietly comfortable” ahead of Indy 500 qualifying

“No, I feel quietly comfortable and excited. We'll see.” The Six-time IndyCar Series Champion then went further in describing how the driving sensations feel significantly different with the boost turned up.

“You're 10 or 12 miles an hour faster into the corners,” said Dixon, a 59-time Indy car race winner (second all-time).

“Your average speed is up a ton. Surprised to see this week how many people were doing qual sims, even on Tuesday and Wednesday, considering how I feel how much it changes once you turn the boost up.

“It's tricky. Once you get into that sweet spot of trying to trim out as much as possible, ride that fine line of being on the edge, not going over too much. Even if you slide the car a little bit too much, it just kills the speed.

“I don't know. I enjoy it. It's fun. I don't know what driver doesn't like more power. When they turn it up, it's a ton of fun.”

Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

When it comes to the race, though, Dixon, who has 25 Indy 500 starts, has endured his share of heartbreaks amid the one triumph. Even just looking back on recent years serves how close he’s come to his second ‘Baby Borg’ trophy. In 2020, he led a staggering 111 laps but fell on the wrong end of a duel with Takuma Sato. The following year saw a mismanagement of fuel strategy that left him entering a closed pit. Then, in 2022, his dominant run fell apart after speeding - by roughly 1mph - on pit lane. And those don’t include the occasional mechanical issue or bad pit stops endured at various times over the years.

“You can't really dwell on the past,” Dixon said. “That's for sure. It's just eyes forward, focusing on what we've got this year. “Some things are in your control, some out of it. There's definitely moments where you felt like you were hard done by and maybe some that you did yourself.

“Yeah, it's really just taking in the moment right now and focusing on what we've got in front of us. Trust me, if I can get a second, I'd be thrilled. But unfortunately there's 32 others that are going to have a pretty good shot.”

Dixon elaborated how many contenders he believes will be in the fight for this year’s race on May 24.

“I think you're going to be racing five to 10 as a group of really strong cars,” Dixon said. “Even last year you could see there were a lot of people taken out early, had issues early.

"It's a tricky race to get everything right in that three hours. Honestly then it just gives you a shot at possibly winning. Even if you have a perfect day, it just gives you a shot.”

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