ONE STEP AWAY; A surging Scott Dixon takes the Indy pole.

Byline: CURT CAVIN

Scott Dixon understands that it is natural for the media to review an athlete's career once he reaches the top of his sport.

Dixon has one more step to climb--winning the Indianapolis 500 on May 25--but he has already journeyed long and far since winning the IndyCar Series championship as a newcomer in 2003.

Now, he is the pole sitter for the 92nd running of the 500, having beaten his rivals (and his Ganassi Racing teammate) in the first round of qualifications at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Dixon stumbled along somewhat helplessly for two recent seasons as Chip Ganassi's team struggled with the underpowered Toyota engine in 2004 and '05. He sometimes found himself trying too hard, overdriving the car as it frequently walloped the wall. In one instance in 2004, he crashed on consecutive laps at the Milwaukee Mile.

"I think those years were tough, and you learn a lot from it,'' Dixon said after having a few hours to reflect on winning his first Indy pole. "You realize the first year, coming [into the IndyCar Series] in '03 . . . it seemed a little too easy.

"But those two [difficult] years really grounded me, and you've really got to be thankful, I think, for a lot of the wins that you do get. You're thankful for when you're on a good roll, because it doesn't last too long sometimes.''