Seven things to watch in the 106th Indy 500

Can Dixon scratch his 14-year itch?

Because of Scott Dixon’s constant prominence in the IndyCar Series and his excellence at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, many find it hard to fathom that it’s been so long since the 41-year-old New Zealander drank the milk, but facts are facts and fate is fickle.

Take last year, for example. Helio Castroneves and Meyer Shank Racing shouldn’t take this ill, nor should Ed Carpenter Racing whose drivers led 72 laps, but many onlookers believe Dixon would have walked last year’s race. His car had looked so good in traffic throughout practice, he took pole, and then was happy to run in the wake of a couple of other cars to save fuel. It seemed only a matter of time before he surged to the front. Then, of course, the pitlane closed due to a crash at its entrance, just when Dixon needed to make his first pitstop, and by the time the #9 had trickled into its pitbox with a fuel-starved engine, and it had been coaxed back to life, he was a lap down. Oh, and he was restarting from the rear of the