Confidence-inspiring win for Briscoe
Penske, who hired Briscoe in 2007 to drive the Porsche RS Spyder in ALMS, was happy for the young Aussie. Not only happy that Briscoe scored his first IndyCar Series victory and Team Penske’s first since last June at Texas Motor Speedway, but also genuinely happy for a race car driver who had limited success since debuting in the 2005 season. Three DNFs in the first six races of this season – including a pit lane incident with Danica Patrick a week earlier in the latter stages of the 92nd Indianapolis 500 – didn’t inspire confidence.
“I think first he really got the monkey off his back, and we knew how good a race driver he was when he ran for us in the Porsche program last year," said Penske after Briscoe led Scott Dixon across the line under caution because of a late-race incident involving four cars.
“I think from the standpoint of his confidence, there's no question that this is exactly what he needed to break the ice. I think we are going to see a real new race driver come above now as we go forward."
Briscoe broke into the series in ’05 with Target Chip Ganassi Racing as a teammate to Dixon.
“We saw him as a good driver; Chip had him earlier on and he got himself into trouble maybe without the experience and the bad accident," said Penske, referring to a crash at Chicagoland Speedway. “We had him come back, had a good physical with him and he passed everything we needed. There was no issue from his accident and he seemed to be confident. So we said let's try him at Indy last year, and of course he finished fifth. That was a first test, and then we put him into the ALMS series last year, and they won two or three races in that car.
“To win that first race at any series is so important, because there's just inches between winning or losing."
Penske has been on both ends over a distinguished career. He sported a cap with “300th win" on the front after the victory – 30 years after Rick Mears delivered his first open-wheel win for Penske also at The Mile – for the landmark victory in all forms of motorsport.
“It shows the amount of work that has been done by so many people on the team, so many good drivers, so many good pit crews," Penske said. “I remember when we were sitting there for a long time trying to get our 100th win. Gil de Ferran gave it to us on a short track. To see Ryan be able to race clean with the 9 car with Dixon, it's a great day.
“This is a great thing not for me, but for everybody who has committed to us. There are so many people who have been with us for a long time — 25, 30 years — and that makes a difference."