Indy poleman Scott Dixon robbed at gunpoint!

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Yesterday was a day Indy 500 poleman Scott Dixon isn't about to forget, albeit for two very different reasons.

Just a few hours after securing pole position for the 101st running of the Indy 500, the Chip Ganassi Racing star, accompanied by four-time Indy winner Dario Franchitti, was robbed at gun-point while sitting in the drive-thru lane at a Taco Bell restaurant, just a half a mile away from the Speedway.

Dixon's wife Emma, was also present when the incident occurred.

"I was supposed to be with them as well," later said Tony Kanaan.

"I'm from Brazil so I guess I'm a little more accustomed to that stuff! But I didn't think that was gonna happen here. Obviously I'm glad they're OK.

"We were in the bus lot [where the drivers park their motorhomes at the Speedway] and I decided that we need to grab dinner, and Dixon was gonna buy dinner – for obvious reasons.

"So we sent him out to get drive-thru and while they were ordering with the windows down, two guys approached them and put a gun to Dixon's head and asked him for his wallet and his phone.

"But he didn't have his wallet, he'd left it in the motorhome, so he gave them his wife's wallet and the guys left."

The gunmen, teenagers aged 14 and 15, fled on foot but were later arrested.

On Twitter, team owner Chip Ganassi mischievously joked about the petty crime.

"There goes that Taco Bell sponsorship we were working on I guess."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.