New Zealand motor racing driver Scott Dixon Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Two New Zealand drivers at opposite ends of the motor racing spectrum will meet up this weekend as the new IndyCars Series gets underway.
Forty-four-year-old Scott Dixon enters his 25th season in the top competition in North America, while 19-year-old Liam Sceats begins what he hopes will be the start of a long career.
Dixon can be considered the current king of IndyCars having won the series six times, second only to AJ Foyt.
His 58 victories is also second to the American legend in race wins.
Despite his impressive career, Dixon is still highly motivated to succeed.
"It sucks to get beat and I hate it," he told IndyCars.
"That is what drives you, you don't really think too much about the championships you won, it's always the ones you lost.
"So the fire burns strong so I'm looking to getting after it for another year."
Liam Sceats wins the 2024 New Zealand Grand Prix at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell Photo: PHOTOSPORT
It has been a remarkable quarter century since Dixon first entered IndyCars.
In 2000 he started in the second tier competition which is now known as Indy NXT.
Being on grid 'a win' for rookie
Twenty-five years ago Sceats wasn't even born.
He will line up in St Petersburg, Florida, this weekend in the support class.
After a promising test with the HDM Motorsports team he was offered a year-long contract as long as he could fund himself... unfortunately, he only has enough money to race the opening round.
"It's tough, my situation is different to the majority of other racing drivers where it is such a battle to even get on the grid, let alone when you're at the race," Sceats told RNZ.
"I'm not the first and won't be the last driver who has to hustle and so to be on the grid this weekend it feels like a win in itself."
Fortunately Sceats, who won the New Zealand Grand Prix in 2024, can see a pathway.
He said knowing that Dixon went through something similar at the start of his career was heartening.
"I take a lot of inspiration from him because he was in my shoes nearly 30 years ago, just a young Kiwi who has a bit of talent and the work ethic and wants to have a crack on the world stage and just needs that opportunity."
Sceats will return to Auckland next week to continue the fundraising mission with the hope that he will return to North America soon.
Despite all his success Dixon has never won at the St Petersburg circuit in Florida, but has finished second four times.
That is one of the reasons he still has the hunger to win as he enters his 25th season.
"Racing has always been extremely important for me, it's what drives me every day.
"It's all about winning, that is definitely what makes me get up in the morning and want to go train and train harder and be better for the season."
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon of New Zealand wins the Big Machine Music City Indycars Grand Prix, 2022. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Dixon leads the New Zealand charge in Florida this weekend along with Scott McLaughlin and Marcus Armstrong.
Sceats joins another Kiwi in Indy NXT with Callum Hedge entering his second year in the championship.
