Scott Dixon embodies a modern-day NTT INDYCAR SERIES legend.

Just 39 years old, Dixon has 46 wins and five INDYCAR championships -- and counting. The 46 wins ranks third on the all-time list behind living legends A.J. Foyt (67) and Mario Andretti (52).

The thread that connects those legends is their versatility.

Foyt is the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Andretti is the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the Formula One World Championship and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Dixon not only has won the Indianapolis 500 -- in 2008 -- he has won racing's all-star sports car event three times, including twice overall in a Daytona Prototype (2006, '15) and a GT Class victory ('18).

The Rolex 24 at Daytona begins Saturday and runs twice around the clock beginning at 1:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC.

Afterward Daytona, Dixon heads to Australia where he will compete for R-Motorsports in the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour for the first time in his career.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES features drivers who are fast, fearless, brave and not afraid to step out of their comfort zone to try something new and different. Dixon exemplifies all of those qualities.

This year, however, will be much different than Dixon’s previous attempts at Daytona. It will be the first time he has competed in the Rolex 24 for a team other than Chip Ganassi Racing.

When Ford concluded its Mustang GT program in IMSA, Ganassi moved his sports car team over to INDYCAR, creating a third entry for Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson in 2020.

This weekend, Dixon will be part of Wayne Taylor Racing’s Cadillac lineup in the DPi category. Joining him on the team is former NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner Indianapolis 500 pole winner Ryan Briscoe.

“I started back in 2004 with Scott Pruett and Max Papis driving for Chip in the Rolex,” Dixon told NTT INDYCAR Mobile. “I’ve been with Chip through every Daytona, so this is definitely a little strange. This year started off a little strange with the preparation for the Rolex with Wayne Taylor, and then the Bathurst 12 Hours with R Motorsports and the Aston Martin deal. It’s crazy the amount of work that goes into joining new teams for one-off races."

Dixon also will be back in a Daytona Prototype for the first time in four years. That requires a change in approach.

"It’s nice to look forward and not look in the mirrors the whole time like I did with the GT cars," he said.

Dixon is reunited with Briscoe. They were full-time INDYCAR SERIES teammates on Ganassi's team in 2005 and again in 2014. The two drivers were also part of Ganassi’s Ford GT program. Briscoe was a full-time driver on that effort and Dixon drove in the endurance races on the schedule, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“It’s fun that it worked out and we are back together again,” Dixon said. “We tried working out a deal with Wayne Taylor back in August and it got sidetracked for a while, but we were able to iron out the deal.

“They are a great team, very successful and defending champions of the 24 Hours of Daytona."

Taylor is a highly successful team owner in IMSA and the father of current star drivers Ricky Taylor (Acura Team Penske) and Jordan Taylor (Corvette Racing). In many ways, Taylor reminds Dixon of Ganassi.

“I think the common ground is the passion for the sport that both men have and the competitiveness -- doing whatever it takes to win,” Dixon said. “There are similarities and they have different personalities, but the approach is the same.

“Wayne’s success with championships and 24-hour wins is a standout. There is a reason why he is in the sport and doing so well.”

Dixon has competed in the Rolex 24 every year since 2004. He is one of the star attractions of the international event that kicks the racing season.

The Rolex 24 is also a race for the strong. It’s an endurance test for both the car and the driver. It has also changed over the years.

“When I first did the Daytona 24 Hours, there was a management pace,” Dixon recalled. “You could rebound if you had to go back to the garage to fix something. These days, if you have to go to the garage, you are pretty much out. It makes for a 24-hour sprint. It’s flat-out from green flag to checkered. It’s the same with Le Mans. It’s literally a sprint race for 24 hours."

This will also be the first time since the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona that Dixon will be racing in a prototype. Beginning with the 2016 12 Hours of Sebring, Dixon was part of the GT Class.

The Daytona Prototypes are considered the thoroughbreds and compete for the overall victory in the 24-hour race. GT cars are production-based and compete in a separate category in the same race.

This weekend, Dixon’s team will be competing for the overall victory, not first in class.

“When you are in the GT category, your timing and scoring only shows your category,” Dixon said. “I don’t even know who won outright the last three or four years. It’s weird how your focus changes.

“The performance of the car and the racing is a lot of fun. I’m excited to be back in prototype. The goal is still the same; to win your category.

“But winning outright is a lot more favorable than winning your class.”

Dixon's next INDYCAR SERIES opportunity is Feb. 11-12 with the first open test of the season, held at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES season begins March 13-15 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.