"I let down so many people" - When Scott Dixon's tiny 1-mph mistake cost him the Indy 500

In his 22-year career in IndyCar, Scott Dixon has started on pole four times at the Indy 500. However, he has won the race only once, in 2008. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver had the chance to change his fortunes at the 2022 Indy 500 but was given a drive-through penalty for overspeeding in the pitlane by 1 mph.

Winning the Indy 500 is often regarded as more important than winning the IndyCar championship. The New Zealander has a massive six IndyCar titles but only a solitary victory at the series' premier race.

Moreover, he has repeatedly been in prime position to add another victory to his tally, but the 2022 Indy 500 mishap stands out the most. After starting on pole for a second consecutive year, Scott Dixon led 95 laps at the Brickyard.

However, on his final pitstop, the six-time champion locked his rear tires while entering the pitlane, which caused him to enter the pitlane at 61mph instead of the allowed 60mph. This earned him a drive-through penalty, which left the Kiwi distraught, as he said:

"What makes it so hard for me is I let down so many people... It was a tough pill to swallow and something I didn’t expect, honestly. It was a real bummer. It was really close. Looking back at what really happened makes it even worse." [via NBC Sports]

Dixon finished the 2022 season third in the standings and did one better the next year by coming runners-up in 2023. However, in 2024, he finished a measly sixth in the championship.

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Scott Dixon is unhappy with how his 2024 campaign went down

Scott Dixon at the Rolex 24 at Daytona - Source: Getty

The 44-year-old started the 2024 season on the front foot by securing his first victory at the Grand Prix of Long Beach three races into the season. Dixon claimed another victory in Detroit just a few races later, but his fortunes turned for the worse since then.

Scott Dixon claimed two more podiums in the following 11 races and finished sixth in the championship. This was one of his worst campaigns ever in terms of overall championship standings.

Ahead of the 2025 season, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver shared his thoughts on the mediocre performance last year and said:

"It sucks to get beat, and I hate it. I think that's what drives you. As I've always said, it's weird how you don't really think too much about the championships that you won. It's kind of the ones lost and even going to a different level, about the races that you lost over certain things or just not getting it right. We definitely have some big areas and some low-hanging fruit where I think we can make some big shifts and some big changes for a positive effect."[via IndyCar]

Dixon will hope to return to his old form in 2025 and match the record of most titles by an IndyCar driver in the upcoming season.