Laguna Seca, CA, February 9 — Last year, Jeff Davidson ended up having lunch with New Zealand's Scott Dixon while we were attending Sneak Preview. Jeff told me right after, "That kid is going to win this year." Of course, we know that Jeff was right, so this year, I made it a point to talk to Dixon myself. I now have a prediction of my own: that kid could take the CART championship this year.

If I were to describe Scott Dixon in one word, it would be intense. Jeff got a great shot of Scott in his pit during testing and this confirms it. He is also a charming red head who can negotiate a press conference as smoothly and professionally as a seasoned veteran.

We chatted briefly after the Toyota press conference on Friday morning, and here’s what we discussed.

On the future of CART: While CART may have hit a low point towards the end of last year, Dixon sees a great future for it as an international series.

On His Team: Scott is looking forward to working with new teammate Oriol Servia. Last year was a very difficult one for former teammate Mauricio Guglemin. Dixon revealed that owner Bruce McCaw is much less involved with the team, formerly known as PacWest, than before.

On His Favorite Race: As expected, it’s Australia, but it’s not just because it’s so close to home. Scott says street and road races are his favorite types of CART races, so it's also because he loves the challenge of the street circuit.

Dixon is firm in his belief that this year's CART champion will come from the Toyota stable. Unlike the other engine manufacturers, who expressed uncertainty this weekend about remaining in the series, Toyota is committed to remaining with CART after 2002.

As I mentioned in an earlier diary article, Scott Dixon's car sponsorship for 2002 has not yet been announced. Yet, he did not seem at all concerned about this when we spoke. Either he's a terrific actor, or he’s aware of plans that he can not discuss right now. One thing's certain – we haven't heard the last of Mr. Dixon.

Copyright © 2002 by Lisa Davidson and Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.