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INDYCAR: Briscoe Ready For His Next Opportunity
Ryan Briscoe tells SPEED.com he can’t wait to find a new home in the IndyCar Series after spending five seasons with Team Penske.
Marshall Pruett  |  Posted December 11, 2012  
Like 2012 IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay experienced more than once in his career, Ryan Briscoe's hoping to reinvent himself with a new team. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)
You won’t find Ryan Briscoe’s name on the list of IndyCar drivers testing at Sebring this week, but the 31-year-old told SPEED.com he can’t wait to find a new home in the series after spending five seasons with Team Penske.

“I can certainly tell you I’m as hungry for success as I’ve ever been,” said the 8-time race winner. “I’m hoping that we can put together a program for IndyCar in 2013 where I can go out and win a bunch of races and be a contender. I feel totally confident that that’s possible.”

With a limited number of quality seats on offer, Briscoe is hoping to land with to a Ganassi Racing, Sam Schmidt Motorsports or Rahal Letterman Lanigan if the funding can be acquired.
Briscoe's 2012 highlights included pole position for the Indy 500 and a win on the Sonoma road course. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)

“It’s hard right now because I don’t have anything locked down for 2013, so it’s a challenge to channel that focus so early on, but I’m confident in myself and the teams we’ve been talking to are strong contenders. I want to go out and prove that,” he said.

“And it’s an awesome feeling that I’ve had so much interest, but there’s a business side to it also. It makes it hard to just go to whatever team you want, or those teams to hire anyone they want; I wish it was that easy, but I feel like I’ve been received well and that there’s some good chances out there for me. I’m pushing hard to make something happen.”

It’s too early to say where Briscoe might end up in the IndyCar paddock next season, but with an abundance of chassis and engine development experience to draw from, he’d be a natural fit for an emerging program.

“I feel I’ve got a lot to bring to the table,” he noted. “And not just from the number of races and track time over the years, but who I’ve been with. There are a number of teams that are still developing, and with those looking to go to two cars, I feel I’d be an asset to them and bring a lot to the table.”

Briscoe warmed to the idea of adding sports car racing to his plate in 2013, and as a former member of Penske’s championship-winning ALMS LMP2 program for Porsche, has also been mentioned as a candidate for the German factory’s LMP1 effort in 2014.

He’s also found inspiration in the story of another Ryan—2012 IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay—whose career was filled with uncertainty until joining Andretti Autosport.
Could Briscoe's ties to Porsche from his time as part of the works ALMS program open the door to a role with the marque's upcoming P1 effort? (Photo: Marshall Pruett)

“I think Ryan’s story is quite inspirational,” he said. “It proves that the ‘never give up’ attitude pays off. If you look at all the turmoil he’s been in time and time again, you have to have faith in yourself. In those times, you also look to things like sports cars, and for him, he’s been able to race in open-wheel and sports cars all throughout his career, so it’s certainly something that interests me.”

Life for a driver in search of his next opportunity is rarely comfortable or relaxed, which Briscoe seems to have accepted.

“I’m doing everything to make sure I’m staying fit and being patient this far out from the start of the IndyCar season,” he explained. “There aren’t a lot of teams in a rush to do deals with so much time left between seasons, so you just have to keep your head down and be ready. That’s the way I’m looking at things. Inside, I’m doing everything possible to make sure I’m ready to go when it’s time to drive.”

Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, and covers the IndyCar Series. Before joining SPEED, Pruett worked in open-wheel racing for 20 years as a mechanic and engineer. He also contributes to RACER, Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett.
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