DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – When Scott Dixon was in the final stages of driving the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Ford ECOBOOST Daytona Prototype to victory in the 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona one of his co-drivers watched in deep admiration.

Jamie McMurray, who drives for Ganassi’s NASCAR Cup team and won both the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in 2010, felt a tremendous respect and reverence for Dixon as a race driver. Dixon’s talent is undeniable as a three-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner. But drivers from other forms of racing get to see that talent for themselves when they compete with Dixon in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“When we as NASCAR drivers watch and IndyCar race and you watch Will Power, Tony Kanaan or Scott Dixon you think ‘Yeah, he’s good’ but you don’t know how good they really are because you aren’t racing against them,” McMurray said. “To get in the same car as those guys and listen to their feedback and watch the pace of the same car you are in you get to realize their ability level. I’ve known that about Scott Dixon for a long time but this year he got to shine. He got in the car and drove it to the lead because of his speed and the ability to save fuel at the same time.

“He was able to long stint by a couple of laps so when the guys pulled out on cold tires and he got to run two fast laps on hot tires and was able to leap-frog them and come out ahead of them. It took three hours to make it happen but he was able to do it. As a driver and as a fan that is awesome. That is what being a race car driver is all about what he was able to do.”

McMurray believes Dixon’s endurance in a race car is awesome.

“To get in there after being awake all night long and do more stints than anybody – to get in there and do 3-1/2 hours at the end, that is really hard to do,” McMurray said.

Those two drivers were part of the winning team that also included 2004 IndyCar champion and 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan and NASCAR star Kyle Larson.

By racing for the same team owner McMurray has become friends with Dixon over the years and has a deep respect for him as a man.

“For a guy who has won championships and Indy 500 he is extremely normal and gracious,” McMurray said. “I like him and the biggest compliment I can give Scott Dixon is what I told my wife, Christy. He is the guy we could invite over, have dinner with, it wouldn’t be awkward and when he left you would say, ‘That is a good guy.’

“That is the best compliment you can give to somebody – a really great guy.

“He has a really nice family and he’s a really good Dad. It’s fun for he and I get together. Scott was around when I first drove for Chip back in 2002. We’ve watched each other get married and start families over a 10-12 year period. I’m a big fan of his and I really appreciate his friendship.”

McMurray is preparing for the biggest race in NASCAR – the 56th Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 22. But as a racer he loves to watch the Verizon IndyCar Series.

“I’m an IndyCar fan and I like IndyCar racing so I’m going to watch no matter what,” McMurray said. “The Indy 500 is always the race to watch. It’s their biggest race and you are always pumped up about it. Normally, the Indy 500 delivers a pretty good show. I’ve never driven an IndyCar at Indy but Justin Wilson told me the first 95 percent of the Indianapolis 500 is easy but the last five percent of that race is incredibly hard.”