Dixon pays tribute to victims of Christchurch terrorist attack

Reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon is racing with a heavy heart in the wake of the recent terrorist attack at home in New Zealand.

The proud Kiwi, one of the country’s highest-profile athletes, has adorned his helmet and the sides of the No. 9 Honda this weekend at Circuit of The Americas with a message of support for those suffering in his native country.

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“It’s always hard from afar, but all my family still lives in New Zealand, a lot of my friends, even from school, are there, and it just sucks,” the five-time title winner told RACER. “It just shows that it can happen anywhere. New Zealand is the last place you would think of for this to happen. I know everybody is greatly saddened by what happened, but the country has banded together, and we’ve straightening out the gun laws, and sometimes it takes events like these to make that occur. It’s just truly sad, so we want to let everyone at home know we’re here for them.”

Image by Marshall Pruett

A number of Kiwis call the IndyCar series home, including Dixon’s chief mechanic Blair Julian. As a group, they’re staying focused while grieving and lending support to loved ones in New Zealand.

“It puts a lot of things in perspective,” Dixon continued. “I’m one of the lucky ones with a a family that’s happy and safe, and I get to do what I love. So, it makes you think you shouldn’t delay doing the things in life you want to do because we can’t say what tomorrow will hold. We’re just thinking of all the families in Christchurch, and everywhere in New Zealand that have been affected by this act, and hoping that in the future,we don’t have to see things like this again.”