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ALMS: Briscoe In and Maassen Out at Penske Porsche
Written by: Marshall Pruett   
08/27/2008 - 11:12 PM
Detroit, MI
 
Better times for Maassen (left) and Briscoe in 2007. Ryan's drives last season were impressive enough to warrant a call up to Penske's Indycar operation. Now outpaced by his replacement, Pat Long, Maassen's days at Penske appear to be over. (Photo: Porsch » More Photos


Porsche made the quiet move to announce Penske Racing's replacement of veteran Sascha Maassen starting at Detroit with Penske IRL driver (and pilot of the #6 last season).

Briscoe, pulling double duty this weekend at Detroit in both his IRL car and his LMP2 prototype, lands in the car he used to catapult himself back into Indycar's this season.

With Porsche locked in a heated battle with Acura for the LMP2 manufacturer and driver titles, a bold move to shake up the driver lineup in the #6 has been overdue. With Acura just six point shy in the race for the manufacturer and engine championships, and Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas only ten points ahead of the surging Highcroft Acura of David Brabham and Scott Sharp, the need for a faster and better finishing combo in the #6 entry is crucial in the three remaining rounds.

Maassen, while respected for his achievements in GT racing and highly popular amongst drivers and fans, has found himself at the bottom of Penske Porsche's pecking order after a long string of pedestrian performances.

Sascha's partner, Californian Pat Long, was expected to use 2008 as a breakout year much as
Briscoe had in 2007.

But unlike the equally fast and driver pairing in the sister #7 Porsche, Maassen's lack of pace has hindered the #6 from earning strong results and allowing Long to register the finishes many believe he's capable of.

With Briscoe now sharing the cockpit, the true measure of Long's abilities will be known and Penske Porsche should see the return of both cars fighting for top honors.
Aussie-native Briscoe was electric in the #6 Penske Porsche RS Spyder in '07. The team hope his return will deliver better finishes to cement the manufacturer's title and the driver's title for teammates Bernhard and Dumas. (Photo: Porsche) » More Photos

Wording was kept vague when describing Maassen's exit, with his replacement attributed to a need for Briscoe to gain seat time prior to Petit Le Mans in October, where he was previously scheduled to serve as the 3rd driver. No mention of Maassen returning to the car at Petit Le Mans is made in the release.

While the door hasn't been officially nailed shut, Porsche's choice to reveal Maassen's replacement far down in their Detroit press release--on the second page rather than in a dedicated story--could be interpreted as a tasteful choice to treat the veteran Porsche driver with the respect he's due for his long service to the marque. It could also be a simple oversight--we'll report back once we get confirmation from Penske or Porsche.
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