RGeeProductions
06-02-2008, 03:36 PM
Ryan Briscoe was quick to thank car owner Roger Penske and driver/coach Rick
Mears for their parts in helping the Australian win his first IRL Indy Car Series race here on the
Milwaukee Mile Sunday afternoon.
'Penske's the man,' said Briscoe after winning the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt 225 over points leader
Scott Dixon. 'Rick has been supportive between qualifying and the race.'
Mears recalled how he won his first IndyCar race 30 years ago here in the then-Rex Mays 150
also for Penske. The four-time Indy 500 winner beat Johnny Rutherford despite a glowing out of
fuel light.
"I saw Al Unser Sr. run out of fuel ahead on me and, on the last lap, my empty fuel talk light
went on during the last lap.' said Mears. "We were fast enough to win but slow enough to finish."
Briscoe, who took his first oval track lead while others pitted during a lap 177 caution, made the
earliest of the winning contenders' final pit stops on lap 194. The Marlboro Team Penske Racing
No. 6 Dallara-Honda pilot took second from Dixon on lap 202 and the lead from teammate Helio
Castroneves on lap 204.
The Sydney native then needed to lead the last 21 laps, holding off a charging Dixon while
threading their way though lapped traffic, to make his Indy Car comeback complete. Cousin Jay
Penske hired Briscoe in 2007 after Chip Ganassi - Dixon's car owner - fired him after crashing 11
times in 2005. Briscoe, who also drove foe Dreyer & Reinbold four time in 2006, responded with
a fifth place finish in last year's Indy 500.
Briscoe's finish prompted R. Penske to hire him for his ALMS Porsche Spyder LMP2 team. He won
twice and came within a few points of that divisional championship - making him a worthy
successor to Sam Hornish, Jr.'s IRL ride.
Misfortune seemed to revisit Briscoe before arriving on the historic mile oval. Briscoe had failed to
finish in half his races, including a televised run-in with Danica Patrick at the 500 May 25.
Dixon came to within a second of catching Briscoe but the leader used his high groove to foil
the newest 500 winner's inside lines. It all nearly came to grief, however, when top 10 runners
Ed Carpenter and Nazaeth, Pa.'s Marco Andretti collided in turn three on lap 222.
The mishap caused Vitor Meira to ride some eight feet over poleman Andretti and land on al
fours. Briscoe breaked and cleared the mishap by waht he said was a foot.
"I had Scott behind me and then I see this cloud of dust ahead," said Briscoe. "If I hadn't
cleared it, I'd be crying now."
The race ended under caution with Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon, Castroneves and Oriol
Servia rounding out the lead lap finishers and top six of 21 overall finishers. Servia used his
pevious six Champ Car starts here to come back from a lap down and a lap two wing bending
incident with Enrique Bernoldi.
Being good and fast counded for Bobby Wilson in the Firestome Indy Lights Milwaukee 100
Sunday morning. The Oconomowoc, Wis. native ousted Chilean USAC Silver Crown runner
Pablo Donso on lap 13 and held off E. Granby, Conn.'s Jeff Simmons the remaining 77 laps to
win his third career FIL race.
Chatham, N.J. native Andrew Pendeville started sixth and finished fifth in his best FIL race
of the season so far. SWE driver Robbie Pecorari, of Aston, Pa., was not entered.
FINISH (Running Unless Otherwise Noted): RYAN BRISCOE, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon,
Helio Castroneves, Oriol Servia, Justin Wilson (R), E.J. Viso (R), Danica Patrick, Buddy Rice, Townsend
Bell, Hideki Mutoh (R), Darren Manning, Will Power (R), Ryan Hunter-Reay, Enrique Bernoldi (R), A.J.
Foyt IV, Bruno Junqueira, John Andretti; (DNF) Ed Carpenter, Marco Andretti and Vitor Meira (lap 222
- collision), Mario Moraes (R) Jaime Camara (R), Graham Rahal (R) (lap 129 - crash), Mario Dominguez
(R), (lap 107 - handling); (DNS) Marty Roth (withdrew after Saturday crash in practice).
POINTS: DIXON-234; Castroneves-206; Wheldon-185; Kanaan-174; Patrick-144; Andretti-142;
Servia-140; Briscoe-134; Carpenter-132; Mutoh (R)-131.
NEXT RACE: June 7 Bombardier LearJet 550k, Texas Motor Speedway.
Mears for their parts in helping the Australian win his first IRL Indy Car Series race here on the
Milwaukee Mile Sunday afternoon.
'Penske's the man,' said Briscoe after winning the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt 225 over points leader
Scott Dixon. 'Rick has been supportive between qualifying and the race.'
Mears recalled how he won his first IndyCar race 30 years ago here in the then-Rex Mays 150
also for Penske. The four-time Indy 500 winner beat Johnny Rutherford despite a glowing out of
fuel light.
"I saw Al Unser Sr. run out of fuel ahead on me and, on the last lap, my empty fuel talk light
went on during the last lap.' said Mears. "We were fast enough to win but slow enough to finish."
Briscoe, who took his first oval track lead while others pitted during a lap 177 caution, made the
earliest of the winning contenders' final pit stops on lap 194. The Marlboro Team Penske Racing
No. 6 Dallara-Honda pilot took second from Dixon on lap 202 and the lead from teammate Helio
Castroneves on lap 204.
The Sydney native then needed to lead the last 21 laps, holding off a charging Dixon while
threading their way though lapped traffic, to make his Indy Car comeback complete. Cousin Jay
Penske hired Briscoe in 2007 after Chip Ganassi - Dixon's car owner - fired him after crashing 11
times in 2005. Briscoe, who also drove foe Dreyer & Reinbold four time in 2006, responded with
a fifth place finish in last year's Indy 500.
Briscoe's finish prompted R. Penske to hire him for his ALMS Porsche Spyder LMP2 team. He won
twice and came within a few points of that divisional championship - making him a worthy
successor to Sam Hornish, Jr.'s IRL ride.
Misfortune seemed to revisit Briscoe before arriving on the historic mile oval. Briscoe had failed to
finish in half his races, including a televised run-in with Danica Patrick at the 500 May 25.
Dixon came to within a second of catching Briscoe but the leader used his high groove to foil
the newest 500 winner's inside lines. It all nearly came to grief, however, when top 10 runners
Ed Carpenter and Nazaeth, Pa.'s Marco Andretti collided in turn three on lap 222.
The mishap caused Vitor Meira to ride some eight feet over poleman Andretti and land on al
fours. Briscoe breaked and cleared the mishap by waht he said was a foot.
"I had Scott behind me and then I see this cloud of dust ahead," said Briscoe. "If I hadn't
cleared it, I'd be crying now."
The race ended under caution with Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon, Castroneves and Oriol
Servia rounding out the lead lap finishers and top six of 21 overall finishers. Servia used his
pevious six Champ Car starts here to come back from a lap down and a lap two wing bending
incident with Enrique Bernoldi.
Being good and fast counded for Bobby Wilson in the Firestome Indy Lights Milwaukee 100
Sunday morning. The Oconomowoc, Wis. native ousted Chilean USAC Silver Crown runner
Pablo Donso on lap 13 and held off E. Granby, Conn.'s Jeff Simmons the remaining 77 laps to
win his third career FIL race.
Chatham, N.J. native Andrew Pendeville started sixth and finished fifth in his best FIL race
of the season so far. SWE driver Robbie Pecorari, of Aston, Pa., was not entered.
FINISH (Running Unless Otherwise Noted): RYAN BRISCOE, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon,
Helio Castroneves, Oriol Servia, Justin Wilson (R), E.J. Viso (R), Danica Patrick, Buddy Rice, Townsend
Bell, Hideki Mutoh (R), Darren Manning, Will Power (R), Ryan Hunter-Reay, Enrique Bernoldi (R), A.J.
Foyt IV, Bruno Junqueira, John Andretti; (DNF) Ed Carpenter, Marco Andretti and Vitor Meira (lap 222
- collision), Mario Moraes (R) Jaime Camara (R), Graham Rahal (R) (lap 129 - crash), Mario Dominguez
(R), (lap 107 - handling); (DNS) Marty Roth (withdrew after Saturday crash in practice).
POINTS: DIXON-234; Castroneves-206; Wheldon-185; Kanaan-174; Patrick-144; Andretti-142;
Servia-140; Briscoe-134; Carpenter-132; Mutoh (R)-131.
NEXT RACE: June 7 Bombardier LearJet 550k, Texas Motor Speedway.