So let’s recap the last nine days for the driver of the guy Chip Ganassi Racing Teams president Steve Lauletta is now calling “Freak 9" on Twitter, the driver of the No. 9 car in the Verizon IndyCar Series, Scott Dixon.
It’s usually the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, but it will shift to Clorox yellow colors this week.
And quite how it got there almost mirrors how crazy his last nine days have been.
Dixon raced in what he thought would be a full Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, June 12, which was already delayed a day anyway owing to a track that wouldn’t dry following a day of rain.
He and wife Emma then boarded a Cessna plane to go to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he’d need to arrive by Monday, June 13, French time to ensure he made it to scrutineering (technical inspection) and get checked in for the week. He missed the team shoot on Sunday, as did Sebastien Bourdais - no matter.
Wednesday, June 15, he took his first ever laps of the 8.47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe, because although he’d gone to France earlier this year for simulator work, he’d not actually driven on the track yet. He missed the Le Mans Test Day on June 5 because of his IndyCar commitments at Detroit, where he promptly took a car with a broken suspension and drove it all race to finish fifth.
He was on track at Le Mans through June 19, the end of the race, where together with Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook he finished third in the GTE-Pro class in the No. 69 Ford Chip Ganassi Team US Ford GT. For good measure, the Le Mans rookie promptly set the fastest lap of the race, a 3:51.514 on Lap 329 of Lap 340 - he got to close the race out. Dixon was one of a number of IndyCar stars who starred at Le Mans.
What an experience. Big thank u to everyone @CGRTeams and @FordPerformance for such a special experience! #LeMans24 pic.twitter.com/NSw1ViGdT0
— Scott Dixon (@scottdixon9) June 19, 2016
He then flew straight from Le Mans, with some other Ganassi crew members, to Watkins Glen International, for testing on Monday on the newly paved track surface. It was fast. Dixon won there multiple times when IndyCar last raced there from 2005 through 2010.
Scott Dixon's IndyCar being prepared for today's test at Watkins Glen. pic.twitter.com/hIXykO7CgC
— Ron Levanduski (@SGRLevanduski) June 20, 2016
No rest for the @IndyCar champ @scottdixon9 back on track today @WGI @FirestoneRacing pic.twitter.com/qXUxoY8aS7
— Scott Harner (@S_Harner) June 20, 2016
Crazy few days and very happy to be back testing @WGI today. Some great memories here in the #9! #Indycar pic.twitter.com/MzfNufcVeo
— Scott Dixon (@scottdixon9) June 20, 2016
And then, today, we saw his livery unveiled for Road America and this weekend’s KOHLER Grand Prix (Sunday, 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN).
Looks like @scottdixon9 will have a clean look for @IndyCar's return to @roadamerica in the No. 9 @Clorox Chevy. pic.twitter.com/MaFXi31i3u
— CGR IndyCar (@CGRindycar) June 21, 2016
This livery, like Simon Pagenaud’s, is eye-retina popping yellow. It is bananas... b-a-n-a-n-a-s.
And it perfectly encapsulates just what a freak of nature Dixon is, because he’s an incredible talent, driver and human sometimes seemingly not of this planet.
Confirms what we already know. SD is not of this planet and beyond being a great driver is a better human https://t.co/GKtTncbISP
— Tony DiZinno (@tonydizinno) June 20, 2016
His engineer, Chris Simmons, sums it up well:
In the space of 5.5 days @scottdixon9 will drive at @24hoursoflemans @WGI and @roadamerica - #top100tracks. Very cool!
— Chris Simmons (@PushyLoose) June 21, 2016
We're IN! #Freak9 https://t.co/NghobRfW5i
— CGR IndyCar (@CGRindycar) June 20, 2016