Australian driver Ryan Briscoe is not out of the running for the IndyCar Series championship, but if he loses the title to either Scott Dixon or Dario Franchitti, he will look back at the race in Japan.
Briscoe entered the next-to-last race with the points lead and appeared poised to be ready to hoist the championship trophy in Florida on Oct. 10.
But during a yellow flag pit stop the Penske Racing driver lit up the tires, lost control and smacked the inside retaining wall leading from the pit exit. I can’t understand why he was lighting up the tires on a pit stop made under caution. Maybe his helmet was too tight!
That resulted in suspension damage which resulted in an 18th-place finish and the loss of the points lead. What made the situation worse was that Ganassi teammates Dixon and Franchitti finished 1-2.
Dixon is now the points leader heading to the Homestead oval with a five-point lead over Franchitti, with Briscoe another three points back.
The pressure is squarely on Briscoe entering the final race of the season. It’s his first time as a championship contender and the blunder in Japan will naturally be playing heavily on his mind.
The last two seasons Dixon has been in a tight points race heading into the final race of the year. He captured the title in 2009 and finished second in 2008. Franchitti is also a former champion.
Over the past 14 races Dixon has finished in the top ten 13 times. Franchitti has a string of seven consecutive top ten finishes entering the final race of the year.
Prior to his blunder in Japan, Briscoe had six finishes of first or second in the previous seven races and the other finish was a fourth.
Entering the final race of the year Briscoe does have two factors in his favor. Team owner Roger Penske and former champion Helio Castroneves as a teammate, both will be offering up plenty of advice.
There is one certainty heading to Florida, the IndyCar championship race should be one of the best of the season.
In other racing news
Mark Martin couldn’t have gotten off to a better start in the chase for the Sprint Cup title by winning at New Hampshire. Juan Pablo Montoya, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin all had strong runs to legitimize their teams as contenders for the title.
Kasey Kahne took a hit in the chase with an engine failure resulting in a 39th place finish. Kahne can’t afford another bad race with chase drivers taking 10 of the top 15 spots at New Hampshire.
The chase is running at the Monster Mile in Dover this weekend. The first race provided some good racing but its too early to tell if that will be the case at the final nine events of the year.
• Ken de la Bastide may be reached at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com or (765) 454-8580.
Sports
Related Photos
Discussion
de la BASTIDE: Briscoe’s blunder costly
Mistake in Japan drops IRL racer off the pace; Martin wins round 1
- Sports
-
-
Kokomo turns back Logan for a win on senior night
Kokomo’s boys basketball team got to celebrate a victory on senior night Thursday evening. Logansport made sure the Wildkats earned their celebration.
-
N’western rips nets at Peru
Northwestern’s boys basketball team used torrid 3-point shooting to rip Peru 76-58 in Mid-Indiana Conference action Thursday night at Tig-Arena.
-
Braves’ Christner shoots down Titans
Tanner Christner exploded for 25 first half points here Thursday night to lead the Maconaquah boys basketball team to 76-60 win over Mid-Indiana Conference foe Taylor.
-
Western girls put defensive clamps on West Lafayette
Western opened its postseason by putting on a defensive clinic against host West Lafayette Wednesday night in a Class 3A Sectional opening round game.
-
Rival Berries visit Kokomo
Muncie Central has the North Central Conference boys basketball championship in sight. The Class 3A No. 2-ranked Bearcats are 5-0 in league play with games remaining against second-division squads Anderson and Marion.
-
Black takes spot among Taylor’s elite
Growing up, Mone’y Black always saw herself as a softball player first.
She was Taylor’s go-to player for the large portions of her career on the basketball and volleyball courts, but her first love was the diamond.
-
Kats lose heartbreaker
Kokomo’s girls basketball team executed its game plan to near perfection against host Logansport in the first game of the Class 4A Logansport Sectional Tuesday.
-
Tipton races by Taylor
Over the last two seasons, Tipton’s girls basketball team has been held under 40 points in just three games.
Tuesday’s sectional opponent — Taylor — held the Blue Devils down in two of those games. Tuesday was a different story.
-
It’s tourney time
In the girls basketball regular season, Tipton and Logansport compiled gaudy records and conference championships while Taylor and Kokomo finished with sub-.500 records.
-
What a kick for Hoosier native Weatherford
Indianapolis — While Steve Weatherford celebrated with his teammates in the New York Giants’ locker room after the 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, thoughts inevitably turned to Terre Haute — his hometown.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
