IZOD IndyCar Series: MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships

Topics:  MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships

Ryan Briscoe
September 14, 2012

FONTANA, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR:  Will, Ryan, thank you so much for your time today.  Best of luck tomorrow. 
We are now pleased to be joined by Ryan Briscoe who qualified second for tomorrow's race. 
Ryan, talk about today's qualifying run. 
RYAN BRISCOE:  You know, hot and slick.  Challenging, for sure.  Probably had a little bit of help from Will's run further down the line from me.  We adjusted the aero just a little bit based on his run.  Still, it was hard. 
Yeah, I haven't talked to Marco yet.  I don't know where he got that first lap from.  We almost got him on consistency, but just missed out. 
THE MODERATOR:  We'll open it up for questions for Ryan Briscoe. 

Q.  Talk about, if you can, the challenge of tomorrow night's 500-mile race. 
RYAN BRISCOE:  It will be exciting.  Wednesday night, I don't know who was here, but it was unbelievable.  I've never seen so many different racing lines working on a single track, from some cars being on the white line, apexing at the white line, some cars running around the wall up the top, about a hundred feet in between, with any other line working as well. 
Plenty of room.  Big, long, fast track.  Challenging start with the sun in your eyes for about 30 minutes probably.  Then the sun comes down.  We're watching the track temperatures, they drop really dramatically as soon as the sun goes behind the grandstands.  All of a sudden the car comes to life.  You can get a lot more aggressive out there. 
I mean, great formula.  We're racing hard, but we're not pack racing.  I think it's more exciting than any oval racing we would have seen last year. 

Q.  Ryan, Wednesday night after the test Dario said you won the bravery award for trying the highest of high lines. 
RYAN BRISCOE:  Didn't work in the end (laughter). 

Q.  Do you go into the race Saturday night knowing you're prepared to use any line necessary or do you try to stick to a more simple game plan? 
RYAN BRISCOE:  I think it was a great test.  We did use every inch of the road.  It was interesting how high you could go.  Helio was the first guy to do it actually.  On our first long run, I was out there behind him.  He's in front.  He's running up the top.  There's dust coming off the back of his car.  I couldn't concentrate.  I'm doing the normal line.  I'm driving like this.  All I could do in the middle of the corner is look at him.  He's up there, dirt coming out the back of the car.  I know he's going to spin. 
It worked.  So I started trying it.  It was interesting.  I don't know if it's the quickest way around, but it's an option.  You guys will see it come into play tomorrow night. 

Q.  Ryan, according to our handy cheat sheet, you could actually finish fourth in the championship, which would be a pretty great result for the season.  It seems from what I know going through the last two years, you've been the third driver on Team Penske and the sponsorship came together sometime after the season has ended, then you had a secure position.  Do you think you're going to be staying next year? 
RYAN BRISCOE:  I couldn't tell you right now.  I certainly do hope to be top five at the end of the tomorrow night in the points. 
THE MODERATOR:  We'll wrap things up with Ryan.  Congratulations on the great qualifying effort.