Fansided

5 IndyCar drivers to watch in 2017

By Brittany Frederick

Team Penske's Josef Newgarden observes the IndyCar team test at Sebring International Raceway. Photo Credit: Chris Owens/Courtesy of IndyCar
Team Penske's Josef Newgarden observes the IndyCar team test at Sebring International Raceway. Photo Credit: Chris Owens/Courtesy of IndyCar /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
IndyCar drivers to watch
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott DIxon. Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Verizon IndyCar Series. /

Scott Dixon

Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
2016 Finish: 6th
2016 Wins: 2 (Phoenix, Watkins Glen)

Coming off of his fourth Verizon IndyCar Series title in 2015, Scott Dixon had an inarguably rough 2016 season. Then there came the offseason where he lost his longtime primary sponsor Target and he still has yet to find a long-term sponsorship deal. That combination of on-track and off-track challenges for one of (if not the) best drivers in the league is why Dixon tops our list of IndyCar drivers to watch in 2017.

Dixon has the most championships of any active full-time driver. Even when he doesn’t win he usually finds a way to make it to the front and make things interesting (see: last year’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, which will probably continue to be debated until the end of time). Just because 2016 didn’t treat him well doesn’t mean he can’t charge back and have an amazing 2017; in fact, it probably only gives him more of a reason to drive the wheels off the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

There are just so many variables that Dixon will have to deal with this year. There’s the CGR switch from Chevrolet engines back to Honda engines. Then there’s the sponsorship deal; General Electric will be the primary sponsor on the No. 9 for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg but there’s nothing set up after that. What does it say about IndyCar, and even about motorsports in general, when a four-time champion and also a top sportsman can’t find a primary sponsor? What happens to Dixon both on and off-track isn’t just about him. It’s going to be very revealing for his team and for the league.

But if you’re a fan of the New Zealander’s there’s just as much reason to be excited. If any driver can make something out of all this unpredictability it’s Scott Dixon. He’s the master of consistency and it says something about him that finishing sixth in the title hunt is considered a down season for him. It’s been more than a decade since Dixon hasn’t won at least two races in a campaign, so we’re confident he’ll throw a curveball of his own in 2017.

Next: Chip Ganassi Racing Global Rallycross team rebrands

Who are your IndyCar drivers to watch in 2017? Let us know the storylines you’ll be following this season in the comments, and keep up with the latest IndyCar news all season long by visiting the Motor Sports category at FanSided.com here.