IndyCar: Way-too-early top 10 drivers for 2020

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JUNE 08: Takuma Sato of Japan, driver of the #30 ABeam Consulting Honda, races Scott Dixon of New Zealand, driver of the #9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, at the start of the NTT IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 08, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JUNE 08: Takuma Sato of Japan, driver of the #30 ABeam Consulting Honda, races Scott Dixon of New Zealand, driver of the #9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, at the start of the NTT IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 08, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 21: Scott Dixon #9 of New Zealand and PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images)
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 21: Scott Dixon #9 of New Zealand and PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images) /

No. 4 – Scott Dixon

Scott Dixon, the driver of the #9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, is set to return to Chip Ganassi Racing for the 18th consecutive season next year. The five-time champion signed a multi-year contract extension with the team before the 2018 season came to an end.

Excluding his five seasons as the reigning champion, which have only resulted in him finishing in the top three in the championship standings on one occasion, you can never count out Scott Dixon. In fact, that seems to be when he shines brightest; every time people want to write him off, he comes back stronger, even if he doesn’t win the title.

Four of his five championships have come in come-from-behind fashion, and there is no reason to believe that another one would come in any other way if he does manage to become the sport’s second ever six-time champion.

Dixon is a perennial favorite to win the championship, and he will certainly enter the 2020 season as one of the most likely candidates to get the job done once again. The thing about him is there is typically never a whole lot to say about him, as there always appear to be stronger candidates even though he has won multiple races in 13 of the last 14 years.

He is never too flashy; in fact, he hasn’t won consecutive races since the 2013 season, and he has done so only once in the last 11 seasons.

But he has only finished outside of the top four in the championship standings in one of the last 14 seasons, so consider this ranking as what is expected of “The Iceman” assuming he does not win his sixth title next year.