Scott Dixon 'excited' by universal aerokit

Scott Dixon is excited by the new universal aerokit that will be introduced to the IndyCar Series next season.

Following three years of manufacturer-specific bodywork, IndyCar will revert to a single package between both Honda and Chevrolet runners.

The new kit is expected to make the existing Dallara DW12 more difficult to drive, and Dixon says the less talented drivers in the field will be found out as a result.

"I'm excited. I think it looks fantastic, it definitely drives a little bit different," he said. "It’s going to be more difficult to get a lap correct. It’s putting the driver back into it, utlilising the underwing much more should make the racing a lot better, [we'll] be able to follow closer – especially on short ovals and road and street [courses].

"I don’t see the speedway configuration changing too much, but I think it’s going to in some [other] ways," he added. "We had so much downforce that it made even maybe not the most talented guy get somewhat close. This is going to open up the window a little bit and make it harder to get it right."

Despite the changes, Dixon doesn't think that the general competitive order will change, but the competition as a whole will be a lot closer.

"I think you’re going to see the usual suspects," said the four-time champion. "There is a lot less pieces to this car so it’s very hard to have a team run away with better efficiency or a better combination."

"It’s almost like a spec aerokit now which for me I think is going to make the competition fantastic," he continued. "The best competition we had in IndyCar recently was the DW12 when it first came out, the racing was better and we’ve tried to emulate that and make things better as a series and for everybody involved in the Verizon IndyCar Series I think it’s definitely a big step forward."

As well as being the first year for the new universal aerokit, next year will also be the second season of Ganassi's renewed partnership with Honda.

In 2017 Dixon and the rest of the Ganassi team were aware of the Japanese manufacturer's pitfalls, but was impressed with their performance over the course of the year.

"I think the team did a really good job but it was also a good mindset change," reavealed Dixon. "We had to approach all of the tracks differently, so it was nice to have a new toy and think outside the box of what we’d been maybe stuck in for the few years that we had been with Chevy."

"I was surprised how fast we hit the track – St. Pete, without the bad yellow I think we would have won that race, and throughout the year, looking at the deficiency of the [aero] kit itself we did surprisingly well," Dixon proclaimed.

"It was nice to be back with lots of familiar faces," he said. "Honda’s mindset and the way they work is a lot of fun, they definitely try and get the most out of everything and unfortunately we came up a little short, but outside of Indianapolis and Texas with those crashes, we possibly could’ve had a fifth championship.



Images: Chris Owens/IndyCar Media (1), Jeff Olson (IndyCar)