It will be a historic day for New Zealand motorsport at the first race of the 2023 IndyCar Series as three Kiwi drivers take the starter’s flag. The two Scotts, Dixon and McLaughlin, along with Marcus Armstrong, who is making his IndyCar debut, will line up on the grid on the street course at St. Petersburg, Florida.
Six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon looks to add his name to the Astor Challenge Cup for a record seventh time – tying the legendary A.J.
“Start of the season; Everybody is excited. It’s definitely one of the best places to kick off the season, especially after a long winter. For us as a team, it’s been a great track for us but with some highs and lows for sure. Last year, we were the leader of the three-stop group and it didn’t work out, but we had great pace. Alex finished second on the podium, which was big. We’ll definitely be trying to get a better result for this season, but ultimately, it’s a track I love to go to and it provides great racing.”
Scott Dixon
Scott McLaughlin scored his maiden IndyCar victory at the Grand Prix of St.Petersburg 2022.
“I know I have the speed to win a championship, but I’ve got to put it together. That’s the same for Indy 500. I’ve learnt a lot over the years that I know I’ve got the right ingredients around me, I feel like I’ve learnt enough to be a force come May. At the same time it’s about executing at the moments that you really need to and not risk too much in the moments you don’t need to.”
Scott McLaughlin
Marcus Armstrong will look to become just the fifth in series history to win a race in their debut – a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in his lifetime (Buzz Calkins – Disney World, 1996).
“First race weekend here in Indycar, and it is a special feeling. I am very excited but for whatever reason, I’m not really nervous. I feel like Chip Ganassi Racing and our engineers have been on top of it, so I’m carefree at the moment. I’m just looking forward to being in the seat and pushing as hard as I can. It’s a new circuit for me and I’m still learning the car, but I feel very confident and love street circuits. I have not been to St. Petersburg before, but by all accounts it’s an awesome circuit and I’ve always bonded very well with these races. Let’s push hard and see what we can get.”
Marcus Armstrong
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES seasons kicks off along the palm tree-lined streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 5 ( 6:00am Monday 6th NZ time – can be viewed on Sky Sport channel 55 )
