Scott McLaughlin (L), Scott Dixon (bottom R) and Marcus Armstrong (top R). Photo: Photosport
Three New Zealand drivers will be on the IndyCar grid in 2024, including the reigning rookie of the year, a six time champion and last season's third place getter.
Two of the Kiwis, Scott Dixon and Marcus Armstrong, race for the Chip Gannasi team.
Dixon finished second overall last year behind team-mate and series winner Alex Palou and Armstrong was the top rookie, with the team becoming the first in IndyCars history to boast the champion, runner-up and rookie of the year in a single season.
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon of New Zealand wins the Big Machine Music City Indycars Grand Prix, 2022. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Alex Palou produced five wins and 10 podiums to clinch his second championship in his third year with the team.
It marked Chip Ganassi Racing's 15th IndyCar title and their 10th in the past 16 seasons.
Dixon finished second in the standings last season with 578 points, finishing off the campaign with three wins across the final four races on the year.
After the season-opening race in St. Petersburg, Dixon will travel to Daytona where he will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame on 12 March.
Dixon is set to become just the sixth driver to be inducted into the Open Wheel category while still actively competing, joining Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Helio Castroneves and Al Unser.
In what will be the 20th St. Petersburg street circuit race, Dixon will become the first and only driver to make 20 starts in race history.
While he has not secured a win in The Sunshine City, he boasts seven podiums, including a third place performance last year.
He has finished on the podium in four of his past seven drives at St. Pete.
Entering his 24th season racing in IndyCars, 43-year-old Dixon earned his place as the series' all-time Iron Man last season - now entering St. Pete with 322 consecutive starts made, a streak that dates back to 2004.
He holds the IndyCar series records with a win in 19 consecutive seasons and a win in 21 overall seasons.
"I'm really looking forward to the warm weather in St. Pete where we can kick off the season. The race is always fantastic and last year, we had quite a good battle," six time IndyCar champion Dixon said.
"We made it to the podium then but the goal this year is to get the win. This is a big event for PNC Bank and all of our team partners, and then the Dan Wheldon documentary premiere, as well, so it will be a full weekend."
Photo: AFP
Armstrong took out the rookie of the year title last season with 214 points despite racing exclusively in road and street course races.
The 23-year-old had his first IndyCar race on the Streets of St. Petersburg last year, where he finished 11th after beginning from 13th.
He can't wait for the season opener.
"St. Pete is quite special to me, as it is where I made my debut. It is a fantastic city and the circuit is quite enjoyable. It will be a fantastic opportunity to return to a circuit that I am familiar with," Armstrong said.
"I haven't had the opportunity to have such things lately. I am quite optimistic and think the crew is in for a big weekend. We will fight hard to get the result that we want."
The Chip Ganassi team will aim to start strong by winning in St. Petersburg on Monday morning (NZT) which would mark a season-opening victory for the fourth time in the past five seasons (2023: Ericsson - St. Pete; 2021: Palou - Barber; 2020: Dixon - Texas).
The other New Zealander on the grid will be last season's third place getter, Scott McLaughlin.
New Zealand driver Scott McLaughlin Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 30-year-old Team Penske driver is heading into his fourth full-time season IndyCar and the 2021 rookie of the year has four career IndyCar race wins to his name.
"I certainly don't feel like the new kid anymore, and I feel more like an open-wheel driver than a touring car driver now," McLaughlin said.
"I can finally at the start of the season focus on racing in some ways.
"I'm excited to hit the ground running hopefully at St. Pete, a place that I love. I feel like we really finished the year strong last year and it is going to be important to start the year strong."
McLaughlin ended the 2023 season with 11 consecutive top-10 finishes, including three second place results.
His third place overall in the championship meant he finished as Team Penske's top driver for 2023, outpacing multiple season champions Will Power and Josef Newgarden.
"I think ever since I won my first race, I knew that every year after that, every year I come into the sport now, I'm going to have a legitimate shot, knowing that the tools I have at hand and where I am in my development as an IndyCar driver," McLaughlin said.
"I never come out and say I'm going to win the championship. I don't. I know that I've got the tools to. I feel like I'm in the best possible spot I've ever been for a long time, but even probably better than last year.
Meanwhile, two young New Zealand drivers will debut in one of the Indycar feeder competitions this weekend.
Auckland drivers Liam Sceats and Callum Hedge will both lineup in the Indycar NXT.
18 year old Sceats spent the last couple of weeks testing with the Australian TJ Speed Motorsports team and will be in one of their three cars at St Petersburg this weekend.
20 year old Hedge will drive for HDM Motorsports, having spent last year competing in Australia's Porsche Carrera Cup and the Formula Regional America's Championship, winning both.
Indy NXT has 14 rounds this year on the same weekend's as Indycars.