Kiwi motor racing star Scott Dixon and teammate Dario Franchitti have escaped unharmed from an armed incident in the US.
Dixon, whose father Ron had a retail outlet in Pakuranga Plaza, had just won pole position for the Indianapolis 500 at the end of the month. He and former Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti were robbed by two teenagers at a Taco Bell drive-through on Sunday night local time, the IndyStar reported.
The drivers were waiting in the drive-thru line at Taco Bell shortly after 9:40 p.m. Sunday when they were held up at gunpoint by two young males, according to police.
The report lists Dixon’s wife, Emma Davies-Dixon, as a victim of the incident, but she was not in the vehicle at the time. Her husband had her wallet, according to another IndyCar driver, Tony Kanaan, the IndyStar reported.
Police said one of the suspects attempted to run but was caught by a K-9 officer. By the end of the incident, the two boys, ages 14 and 15, were taken into custody on suspicion of felony robbery.
Dixon, who took the pole Sunday for the May 28 race, won the 500-Mile Race in 2008. Franchitti, a three-time 500 winner, retired from racing after a crash in 2013.
Dixon’s Chip Ganassi Racing team sent this message to the Times:
“Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti are completely fine after being held up last night by two men at a fast food restaurant in Speedway, Ind. Thank you to everyone for all of your concerns about their well-being. However, we will allow the Speedway/Indianapolis police departments to handle the situation and while they conduct their investigation we will refrain from making any further comments to allow Scott to focus on the upcoming Indianapolis 500.”
