Indy Racing Revolution (temporary site)

Penske driver pushes IndyCar title lead to 25 points with two races left

Four years ago at Chicagoland Speedway, Ryan Briscoe nearly left this world.

Then a rookie with Target Chip Ganassi Racing, the young Aussie had gone through a tough first year in the IndyCar Series. It got worse at Chicagoland when he touched wheels with Alex Barron at over 200 miles per hour, ran over the American’s left front tire, and launched himself into the catch fence.

The impact destroyed his car. But he survived.

And now, Briscoe — now with Team Penske — is on the verge of an IndyCar Series title. Last night’s race at Chicagoland was a hair-raising event full of two and three-wide racing, but at the end, it was the “Thunder from Down Under” that conquered the track that almost killed him.

With no push-to-pass boosts left at his disposal, Briscoe still managed to beat Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon to the checkered flag by .0077 of a second to win the Peak Indy 300. Even more importantly, he was able to extend his lead over Dario Franchitti in the title race to 25 points with just two races remaining in the season: Twin Ring Motegi in three weeks and the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 10.

While the battle for the championship shifts to Japan and the notoriously tricky Motegi oval, Briscoe’s mindset is staying the same.

“We’ve seen how quickly that can turn around,” he said. ”Just got to stay focused and try to beat these guys still. Japan and Homestead, they’re going to be tough races. Hopefully we go and have a good car. I don’t see any reason why we won’t.”

Like his close victory at Kentucky Speedway at the beginning of this month, Briscoe had to charge from the back to claim the win.

A refueling problem on a pit stop at Lap 95 knocked him back into the middle of the pack. But he was able to work his way through the field and re-assumed the lead when Dario Franchitti pitted on Lap 158 — a stop that was slowed by an air gun that wasn’t pulled from under the car quicker.

Briscoe had to pit three laps later, giving the lead to Dixon. Both of them would battle for the lead the rest of the night, which featured a caution with 16 laps to go as Briscoe’s teammate Helio Castroneves smashed into the SAFER barrier after a front suspension failure.

The green came back out with nine laps remaining, but with five to go, Briscoe snuck to the point on the high line as Dixon stayed glued to him down low.

The two stayed locked together the rest of the way as a giant pack of drivers including Mario Moraes, Franchitti, and Graham Rahal attempted to chase them down. But the win would be decided between Briscoe and Dixon, who said that his team had to find more speed on the mile-and-a-half ovals.

“Definitely as a team, I think we need to redefine what we’re doing on the mile-and-a-halfs and try and speed up,” said the defending series champion. ”I think aero‑wise, we’re lacking a bit, whether it’s in body fit and car preparation or whatever it is.

“I think as a team, you know, tonight we did our best job, and we still came up short. So we’ve definitely got to clean a few things up.”

Franchitti remains in the hunt for the title, but he was unable to break through traffic and finished fourth in the race behind Moraes. After the race, Franchitti said he was unwilling to help Briscoe in order to go for the win at his teammate’s expense.

“I was boxed in almost, because my ideal thing would have been to get behind Briscoe, get a draft and try to go three wide and use the overtake to pass,” he said. “But I had my teammate leading the race and the guy we’re fighting against the championship on the outside…

“…And I couldn’t and wouldn’t push anybody else apart from my teammate in that fight, and I was trying to push Scott, and that got me hung up there and allowed Moraes to get past.”

That pass enabled Moraes to score his first career IndyCar Series podium in the No. 5 KV Racing Technology car. It was also his second straight top-five finish after finishing fourth on the road course at Infineon Raceway.

“It’s amazing,” the young Brazilian said. “The team did a great job in the pits. Our mechanics did a great job and we had really great pit stops. The team has been working really hard for this all season and I’m really pleased with a third place finish.”

On the final sprint to the checkers, Rahal often took to the high line and appeared ready to pounce on Briscoe and Dixon. But he was unable to hang on to the leaders and had to settle for fifth place.

“Honestly, when I went up high, I thought we were going to [win] finally because the car had so much momentum,” he said. “…I pulled out of the draft, went up high and (the momentum) just died. 

“Unfortunately, we just didn’t have enough speed. When you go up that high, the distance you’re taking there is massive, and unfortunately, we just didn’t have enough speed.”

Briscoe didn’t have that problem. Now he has the advantage in what has been a back-and-forth brawl between him, Franchitti and Dixon for the 2009 title. 

But the fight’s not over yet.

“We’ve got to stay focused,” he said. “The Target cars are going to be there in Motegi and Homestead, so we just have to stay focused…We had a couple of mistakes tonight but were able to come back. We’ve just have to try to avoid those situations.” 

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Quotes used in this article were taken from last night’s post-race press conference and trackside report.