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IndyCar
BRISCOE: Championship Trail
I came into the event at Sonoma just three points out of first place, so our goal coming into the weekend was to keep up with the points leader, Scott Dixon.
Ryan Briscoe  | http://www.penskeracing.com  |  Posted August 28, 2009   Mooresville, NC
With three races remaining, the 2009 championship is all Briscoe and his two main protagonists have in mind. (LAT)
Sonoma is one of my favorite places to compete. Infineon Raceway is really challenging and a lot of fun to drive. I earned my first IndyCar Series pole here, so it will always be special to me. Plus, the area around the track is so beautiful – it’s fun to explore when I’m up here.

This weekend was especially nice, because my mom and aunt came to the race. My dad was in the U.S. for the past few races and he went back home to Australia after Mid-Ohio. Now my mom is going to be here for a few as well; so it’s great to have her around. I like having my family at races, it means a lot to me to have their support at the track.

I came into the event at Sonoma just three points out of first place, so our goal coming into the weekend was to keep up with the points leader, Scott Dixon. We’re at a point in the Championship now where we can’t make a single mistake, and this weekend we did what we needed to do. We played it smart and it paid off with another successful event for Team Penske, which allowed us to regain the Championship lead.

The weekend started out a little shaky on Saturday – we had a rough practice session and I think I spent more time in the dirt around the circuit than I did on the track! Unfortunately, my Penske Racing teammate, Will Power, got in a bad wreck early in the session and broke two vertebrae in his lower back. It was really tough to see that happen to him, or any driver for that matter. He has worked so hard all year to support the Team and he was really looking forward to getting back in the racecar for these last couple of races. It’s just a shame that this had to happen to Will.

The accident really shook up the entire Team. But everyone knows the risks involved in racing so we had to re-group and focus on qualifying. We got back in the groove during qualifying and my car got better and better as the three stages of the session went on.

The #6 Team Penske car was definitely quick and we were at the top of the charts throughout the first two sessions. I was on pole for the entire final stage, but was nipped by Dario (Franchitti) with just moments left. I thought we had a shot to regain that top spot, but I just couldn’t get a clean lap in at the end. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get the pole, but Dario was super quick and at least we were starting on the front row in second position.

Sunday proved to be more of the same as I watched Dario lead every single lap. I got a great view of his rear wing all day, but there was nothing I could do – he had the car to win on Sunday and like I said before, every point counts so you need to stay as consistent as possible and not do anything crazy that would take you out of the race or lose any points.

We were fairly conservative on fuel during the first stint and I actually thought we were going to be able to get him by going a lap further before pitting. So I was surprised to see that he was able to go a lap further than me. We stayed in second place after that first round of pit stops and I didn’t have much of a chance to get by him the rest of the afternoon. Behind him, I was pressuring him and doing what I could; but he wouldn't budge, and he didn’t make a mistake all day. When he started having a bit of trouble on the black tires, I was having trouble on the black tires as well. We both had our issues at the same time of the race.

Unfortunately, Infineon is a really tough track to pass on if the guy in front of you doesn’t make mistakes. Despite not getting the win, Team Penske did an awesome job; for the second consecutive race, my crew had the quickest stops on pit road.

We also regained the Championship points lead heading into Chicago. It’s amazing; we’ve had a different leader after 13 of 14 races this season. It seems like nobody wants to hang on to that number one spot. Hopefully, that trend will change from here on out – and I can keep the points lead for the final three races.

My teammate Helio had a difficult day out there - his suspension broke on lap 67 and ended his day early. He’s still mathematically in the Championship hunt, but it’s going to take a lot of luck for him to win the title.
Franchitti's rear wing was the only view Briscoe had at Sonoma, but now with the series headed to the ovals, the playing field should be more level. (LAT)

Now we’re done with the road courses for the season and the Championship is going to come down to the final three races – all on 1.5-mile ovals. Team Penske’s performance on 1.5-mile ovals has improved this season and I was able to score my first win on this type of track just a few weeks ago (in Kentucky). The Team has won on each of the final three tracks before (Castroneves – Chicago 2008; Castroneves – Japan 2007; and Sam Hornish Jr. – Homestead 2005) so hopefully that will help us as we wrap up the year and try to get the Team’s record 13th National title.

I especially love the track in Japan, I haven't had the best success there yet, but I really enjoy the circuit and I'm looking forward to going there. These last three events are going to be tough, as spread out as the schedule is, so we have to make sure we stay focused.

We’re under the lights in Chicago this Saturday night, so make sure to tune in and cheer us on!

Thanks for reading, and we’ll talk again soon.

~Ryan

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, SPEED, FOX, or NewsCorp.

Briscoe began his racing career in 1993 at the age of 11 by competing in the Junior Yamaha Australian Championship, and he would go on to earn a Championship in the Series the following year. In 1997, Briscoe moved to Italy, providing a true turning point in his career. Over the course of the next several years, he competed in Europe in a variety of series' including Formula A, Formula 3, Formula 3000 and Formula Renault 2000. In 2002, he landed a role as a test and back-up driver for Panasonic Toyota Racing in Formula 1, which brought him the worldwide attention that eventually landed him his ride with Ganassi Racing in 2005.

After a horrific season-ending accident jeopardized his racing career, Ryan Briscoe made a triumphant return to racing full-time in the IndyCar Series in 2008. Driving for one of motorsports most legendary teams, Team Penske, the 27-year-old Australian proved himself a winner as he embraced the challenge and had a breakout season. In his first season with the Team, Briscoe earned three wins and three poles. Starting off the new season in style with a win at St. Petersburg, Ryan demonstrating that he is the latest threat to make a run at the 2009 IndyCar Series Championship.

In his spare time, Briscoe is an avid fan of watersports. He enjoys waterskiing, wake boarding and wake surfing. He works out seven days a week employing a triathlete’s regimen of running, biking, swimming and weight training. He also enjoys golf and tennis. In addition to his native English language, Briscoe is also fluent in Italian. He is single and currently lives in Mooresville, NC.

Learn more about Ryan and the Team Penske organization at PenskeRacing.com
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
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Ryan Briscoe

Penske Racing

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