MR DIXON MEET MR DIXON. GEE

Scott Dixon, who has won three IRL races thus far this season and currently sits third in the IRL series point standings, took a little time out to visit Larry Dixon while the latter was testing last week at Indy for the U.S. Nationals.

After watching a lap, Scott allowed as how he might like to take a lap in the fueler. "I think it would be pretty cool to sit behind 8,000 horsepower and give it a go." He told Dixon he wouldn't mind swapping his methanol-burning IRL machine for Nixon's nitro methane-powered beast. "The G-forces they get are well beyond what we do," conceded the native of New Zealand.

"The G-loads certainly got their attention," said Larry Dixon after speaking to Scott, who shows up for work in a 1,525-pound, 675-horsepower, 220-mile an hour G-Force IRL car. "Especially when you tell them you hit the throttle and the pull's five and a half G's. Hearing that, Scott's eyes got big." Then added Dixon, "Wait, we're still slipping the clutch there. When we lock the clutch up it pulls 7 G's - and that's forward G's - and then you can really feel the acceleration.' I think that information certainly woke Scott up." [8-28-2003]

CASTROL NAMES TOP TECH STUDENT

Castrol GTX has announced that Dallas-area native Daniel Gilbert has been named the first national winner of the Castrol GTX Top Techs contest, which awards him the title of "America's Top Automotive Student" and a handful of prizes. Castrol GTX and John Force

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will honor Gilbert Friday, August 29, 2003, at Indianapolis Raceway Park in Clermont (Indianapolis) at the 49th Annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in the Top Eliminator Club at 12:00 p.m.

Castrol GTX and John Force Racing initiated the annual Top Techs program to help increase the automotive student and technician population by making it more accessible for students to attend and be successful in automotive programs. To enter the contest, automotive students nominated themselves or were nominated with an essay explaining why they are the best and brightest in their class. This year, eight regional winners were selected from 246 highly qualified nominations, with each regional winner receiving $1,000 in Mac Tools and the opportunity to serve as an honorary pit crew member for Force. The eight regional winners were then evaluated by a blue-ribbon panel of judges to determine the national winner of a $7,500 scholarship. [8-28-2003]