Scott Dixon has hailed his Chip Ganassi Racing squad following a successful conclusion to the IRL season that has set the team up in style for next year.

By its own lofty standards, 2005 was a year in the doldrums for Ganassi with just a single win to its name, but Chip's boys bounced back triumphantly in 2006, rounding the campaign off with a dominant one-two finish in the Chicagoland finale.

Indeed, the team challenged champions Penske season-long with a strong performance that saw Ganassi claim no fewer than four victories from 14 starts on its way to second and fourth in the drivers' standings courtesy of Dan Wheldon and Dixon. And the Kiwi thinks it could be the precursor of even better things to come in 2007.

“It's been a good year,” the 2003 IRL champion said, “and it's been a good comeback for us, not just for me but for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Forecasting a brighter future for the Indy 500-winning outfit, more used to life at the sharp end of the grid rather than making up the numbers, he added: “I think we can take this momentum into next year. We seem to have the cars pretty sorted out with moving chassis to the Dallara this season.

“It's great to end on such a high note with the team's 50th IndyCar win and I think we'll be pretty strong next year.”