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Le Mans / ALMS
ALMS: Briscoe Eyes Full Time Sports Car Return
IndyCar ace makes debut with Level 5 Motorsports this weekend at Sebring...
Ryan Briscoe could be set for a full-season ALMS campaign, should Level 5 Motorsports commit to a championship attack in P2. (Photo: John Dagys)
While his full-time opportunities in IndyCar may have dried up, Ryan Briscoe will be opening a new chapter in his sports car racing career this weekend at Sebring, as the open-wheel ace returns to the American Le Mans Series, with an eye towards a possible championship run with Level 5 Motorsports.
Briscoe has teamed with the defending P2 class champions for Saturday’s ALMS season-opener, as part of an all-star lineup featuring fellow IndyCar drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay, Simon Pagenaud as well as Marino Franchitti joining team owner Scott Tucker in the two-car HPD ARX-03b squad.
It marks Briscoe’s first ALMS start since his successful stint as part of Penske’s Porsche RS Spyder program in 2007-08, which saw the Australian ace deliver four class victories and two poles in the factory P2 entry.
"It kind of feels like yesterday when I was driving an RS Spyder around here,” Briscoe told SPEED.com. “I’m really excited to be back. It’s a great team and the car is awesome. There’s a lot of familiar faces here, from [the drivers], engineers and mechanics. They’ve put in some really quality people here. They do it right.”
While he technically returns to the same class, a lot has changed over the last five years, including the enforcement of smaller displacement production engines, cost-capped regulations and Pro-Am driver enforcement in P2.
“I think the biggest difference, which I haven't had to get out there and experience, is going to be traffic,” he said. “Back when I was racing, the P2 cars were clearly a lot faster than the GTs on the straights. Now, we're not. I think GT cars have gotten faster in their top speed. These are a lot slower in top speed.
“So getting through traffic is a lot more complicated. Hopefully this week before the race we can get some good running in traffic. Because that's what it's all about. You need to be reliable, keep your nose clean through traffic.
“I'm confident we'll have cars fast enough to take the checkered if we do all of the other stuff right."
While Briscoe will be looking to add a Sebring class victory to his resume, he’s also hopeful of making a championship run in the ALMS this year, should Level 5 commit for a full-season effort.
So far, the team has only confirmed its entry for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a race Briscoe is also itching to take part in, alongside a possible one-off return to the Indianapolis 500 as well.
“It would be really nice to continue with these guys for the rest of the year,” Briscoe said. “I know their plan is to go to the Le Mans 24 Hours, which would be an amazing experience for me. I've never been there. That would be great.
“The schedule here leaves the Month of May open, so I'm going to look and see what kind of opportunities there are for the Indy 500 as well, at the same time as racing in sports cars.”
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
Briscoe has teamed with the defending P2 class champions for Saturday’s ALMS season-opener, as part of an all-star lineup featuring fellow IndyCar drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay, Simon Pagenaud as well as Marino Franchitti joining team owner Scott Tucker in the two-car HPD ARX-03b squad.
It marks Briscoe’s first ALMS start since his successful stint as part of Penske’s Porsche RS Spyder program in 2007-08, which saw the Australian ace deliver four class victories and two poles in the factory P2 entry.
"It kind of feels like yesterday when I was driving an RS Spyder around here,” Briscoe told SPEED.com. “I’m really excited to be back. It’s a great team and the car is awesome. There’s a lot of familiar faces here, from [the drivers], engineers and mechanics. They’ve put in some really quality people here. They do it right.”
While he technically returns to the same class, a lot has changed over the last five years, including the enforcement of smaller displacement production engines, cost-capped regulations and Pro-Am driver enforcement in P2.
“I think the biggest difference, which I haven't had to get out there and experience, is going to be traffic,” he said. “Back when I was racing, the P2 cars were clearly a lot faster than the GTs on the straights. Now, we're not. I think GT cars have gotten faster in their top speed. These are a lot slower in top speed.
“So getting through traffic is a lot more complicated. Hopefully this week before the race we can get some good running in traffic. Because that's what it's all about. You need to be reliable, keep your nose clean through traffic.
“I'm confident we'll have cars fast enough to take the checkered if we do all of the other stuff right."
While Briscoe will be looking to add a Sebring class victory to his resume, he’s also hopeful of making a championship run in the ALMS this year, should Level 5 commit for a full-season effort.
So far, the team has only confirmed its entry for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a race Briscoe is also itching to take part in, alongside a possible one-off return to the Indianapolis 500 as well.
“It would be really nice to continue with these guys for the rest of the year,” Briscoe said. “I know their plan is to go to the Le Mans 24 Hours, which would be an amazing experience for me. I've never been there. That would be great.
“The schedule here leaves the Month of May open, so I'm going to look and see what kind of opportunities there are for the Indy 500 as well, at the same time as racing in sports cars.”
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
ALMS Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
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