Scott Dixon speeds to victory in the Edmonton Indy last June 26. (Gavin Lawrence/Getty Images)Scott Dixon returns to Alberta this weekend to defend his 2008 victory at the Edmonton Indy and, with any luck, regain the points lead from teammate Dario Franchitti in what has become a back-and-forth battle.
"Now is probably a turning point," said Dixon in a phone interview Wednesday from Indianapolis, prior to flying to Edmonton for Sunday's race.
"With Edmonton, Kentucky, Mid-Ohio and Sonoma, the next few races are all going to be very challenging. I think we need a little bit of luck to roll our way, especially on the road courses."
The New Zealander, who celebrated his 29th birthday Wednesday, won the inaugural IndyCar event on the 1.96 mile (3.2 km) airport-road course at the City Centre Airport, edging Helio Castroneves out of pit row and leading the final 30 laps to victory.
The track's wide corners and bumpy stretches favour the daring and punishes the hesitant.
"Edmonton is actually really funny," said Dixon, who drives the blood red No. 9 Dallara Honda, a bull's-eye painted on the side, for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.
"It's almost like a road course, but it has the bumps of a street course. It's really rough, but it's super-wide, super fast."
Franchitti captured the checkered flag in the last event in Toronto on July 12, matching Dixon with three victories apiece this season.
With 347 points, the Scottish driver took over top spot in the overall standings, just two points ahead of Dixon.
'He'll be tough to beat'
It was the third consecutive weekend the two Ganassi drivers swapped the points lead and the sixth race of the season that one of the two has been on top of the standings.
It's a bit of deja vu for Dixon, who won the overall championship in 2008 with six victories but, in 2007, was on his way to the crown when he ran out of gas on the last lap of the final race at Chicagoland.
Franchitti, then with Andretti Green Racing, roared past him for the championship.
With seven races to go, Dixon said he isn't thinking about exorcising demons from two years back.
"I don't look back on it, but a lot of people do," he said. "I hope this is the time where both Dario and myself can step it up and try and put a bit of a gap between us and [Team Penske rival Ryan Briscoe] because, if that guy gets it all going right, he'll be tough to beat."
Briscoe sits third, just 13 points back of Franchitti, who returned to open-wheel racing this season after struggling on the NASCAR circuit in 2008.
"Dario had a bit of a rough season last year," said Dixon, "He is super-motivated.
"He wants to prove a point. And motivation can sometimes push you through things."
'We go back and forth'
Not only has Dixon been dealing with Franchitti, but also with first-time fatherhood вЂ" daughter Poppy was born earlier this month вЂ" and rumours he may leave Ganassi to team up with friend Gil de Ferran's expected two-car IndyCar entry in 2010.
"I like Gil as a friend," Dixon said, mindful that rumours are just that вЂ" rumours.
"We go back and forth, but it's early days on that whole progress of where he's at and if we can do anything in the future. We're talking probably a long time down the road, but it's very hard to give up or change from such a successful team."
Dixon, a pilot, triathlete and a driver who won his first championship at age 13, is also on the verge of IndyCar history.
A win Sunday will be his 20th in IndyCar, surpassing Sam Hornish Jr. for most career wins in the series.
That would be a high-profile accomplishment for a man whose motto is "Fly under the Radar."
Team owner Chip Ganassi, in an email interview, said the ability to stay patient is Dixon's strength.
"He rarely makes mistakes," Ganassi said. "He always waits for the right opportunity and then rarely misses chances at making moves.
"It is certainly not that he doesn't take risks. It's just that Scott takes calculated risks вЂ" he is a talent like few others."
