Mario Andretti lauded Scott Dixon for surpassing his record for the most IndyCar race starts at the 109th Indy 500. Andretti, a four-time champion, completed his 407th and final IndyCar race in 1994 at Laguna Seca.

Dixon, a six-time champion, marked his 408th race start in the American open-wheel series on May 25. He began his 23rd Indy 500 in fourth place, mirroring his debut in 2003.

Andretti, the 1969 Indy 500 winner, congratulated Dixon in a video message posted by IndyCar on X. Andretti expressed his admiration for Dixon’s resilience and ability to stay at the top, acknowledging that records are meant to be broken and that Dixon is a champion worthy of breaking them.

Dixon matched Andretti’s 52 IndyCar race wins in 2022 at Toronto and surpassed him with a win at Nashville later that season. In Toronto two years later, Dixon also matched Andretti’s record of 141 podiums and then surpassed it at Milwaukee.

Dixon responded to Andretti’s message by expressing his admiration for Andretti and his son Michael, considering Mario one of his biggest heroes and an advocate for the sport. He also thanked Chip Ganassi Racing and his No. 9 squad.

Andretti was present at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 109th Indy 500 with his son, Michael, to watch Marco Andretti’s 20th attempt at winning the race. Marco’s race ended early due to contact with Jack Harvey. Scott Dixon, who started in P4, experienced a mechanical issue but finished the race in P20, while his teammate Alex Palou won the race.