Is Scott Dixon a US citizen? Everything to know about the IndyCar great's roots

Scott Dixon, popularly known as the Iceman, is an absolute legend of the IndyCar series. He has so far amassed an impressive six world championships and is easily one of the most well-known figures in American motor racing.

While the 44-year-old has been competing in the highest class of open-wheel racing in America since 2003, he is not a citizen of the country. Scott Dixon is a New Zealander but was born in Brisbane, Australia on 22nd July 1980. Moreover, he has two older sisters.

Scott Dixon's parents:

Scott Dixon is the only son of his parents, Ron Dixon and Glenys Dixon. They used to own a dirt speedway in Townsville, North Queensland, but in search of better opportunities, they moved to Australia in 1976 before moving back to Auckland (NZ) a decade later. Scott Dixon completed his early education at Manurewa Central Primary, Green Meadows Intermediate, and James Cook High School.

Scott Dixon's early racing career

Having parents who had a passion for racing, Dixon spent most of his young years around various kinds of race tracks. The 44-year-old started trying his hands at go-karts at the tender age of seven, and with racing enthusiasts as parents, he got his first taste of racing at the age of eight when he was put into a midget car with an iron-horse engine.

When it comes to who influenced Scott Dixon to make a career in racing, it was New Zealand racers Chris Amon (108 F1 race starts), Denny Hulme (1967 F1 world champion), and Bruce McLaren (104 F1 race starts).

After amassing 30 major Australian and New Zealand-based karting championships before the age of 13, he then took the next step to compete in car racing. He acquired a junior license from NZ Motorsport to compete in club and National level events up to the Formula Ford.

Scott Dixon's career from 1994 - 1997

The period between 1994 and 1997 was rewarding for Dixon, and it also led to him being recognized by the people in the motorsports world. He secured the 1994 New Zealand Formula Vee Championship in his first attempt, and following this, he drove a Nisaan Centra Saloon Car at the Pukekohe Park Raceway. In that event, a young Dixon was spotted struggling to reach the pedals with a cushion attached to his back in an upturned car.

In the 1995-96 season, he drove a 1600cc light open-wheel car in the highest tier of New Zealand's Formula Ford Class II championship. He secured the title by amassing 13 victories in 14 events. He then moved to the primary Ford Class in a 1992 Swift car and secured the 1996-97 title, with eight wins from 15 starts.

Leading up to an IndyCar birth in 2003

Following his heroics in 1997, Scott Dixon's parents hired open-wheel racer Ken Smith (winner of the Gold Star Drivers Award in 1975 - 76) as his manager. From this point on, Dixon took part in various racing categories like the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), the developmental series Indy Lights, and also tested a Formula 3000 car.

Moreover, after going through quite a few rounds of struggles and adulation for a variety of reasons, he finally made his debut in the 'fastest racing on earth', IndyCar, in the 2003 season with Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR). From this point on, the 44-year-old has never looked back and is still competing in the sport. He ended the 2024 season for Indianapolis-based CGR in a commendable sixth position with 456 points to his name.