Ganassi IndyCar team rules out return to three or four cars

Ganassi scaled back from four cars to two for 2018, releasing Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball to go to Carlin and Tony Kanaan to head to AJ Foyt Racing.

It then targeted a shortlist that included Toro Rosso Formula 1 driver Brendon Hartley before opting to sign second-year IndyCar racer Ed Jones to partner Dixon.

After a slow start to the season, Dixon hit his stride during the Month of May at Indianapolis and then became the IndyCar championship leader with four races remaining.

"It certainly hasn't hurt him, us going to two cars," said Ganassi.

"I think it's enabled me to focus a little more.

"When you have four cars like that, you have a lot of information flow that maybe we miss a little bit.

"When you expand and contract your team, there are lots of forces at work, let's say, not the least of which is what's best for your team.

"It's money, it's people, it's drivers, it's sponsors, it's a lot of things that go into those decisions of expansion and contraction.

"I have no plans to expand. I'm not saying I'll never do it again, but I don't have any current plans in the near term to expand back to three or four cars."

Dixon added that becoming a four-car team again would be difficult to achieve and that it has benefits and drawbacks.

"Chip answered it well. There's always pros and cons, but I think from Chip's perspective, there can be a lot of noise," he said.

"In Chip's case, he doubled the team from two to four, and you're doubling almost all the employees.

"In current times, that's not an easy thing to do. There's not a huge influx of mechanics, it's not an easy thing to achieve well.

"I think the team did do a very good job of it [running a four-car team], and for me, yes, I definitely miss the data side.

"It was definitely a fun combo throughout the years with the different team-mates and drivers that I had.

"But again, it can slow down the process sometimes when you're supplying two cars with even small tweaks here and there, and instead of making two parts you've got to make four, that can be a very big lead time especially with the smaller pieces.

"This team has won in both scenarios."

As well as its IndyCar programme, Ganassi also has a NASCAR team and runs Ford's GTE squad in the World Endurance and IMSA SportsCar Championships.

Ganassi's main IndyCar rivals Andretti Autosport and Penske both run three cars full-time along with additional part-time entries around the Indy 500.