IndyCars

Ryan Briscoe and Will Power are both striving to be the first Australian to win the Indy 500 this Monday morning.

While Power is expected to run well, it is Briscoe who is looming as the most likely Aussie to win the famous race.

He will start from third position in the Team Penske car and his experience at The Brickyard means he is in with a good shot in the race.

Power will start from 23^rd place and while he is seen as one of the most talented drivers to switch from the Champ Cars Series to the new united IndyCar Series, he has not raced at Indianapolis track before.

Briscoe has raced at the Indy track twice before, he finished in 10th on debut in 2005 and was fifth last year in a one-off drive.

His lead-up to Monday’s race didn’t all go to plan when he slammed his car into the wall last weekend.

Briscoe described the crash as a “very big one,” but was unhurt.

He told the Herald Sun this week that he was looking forward to this weekend’s race as he will be in a better position that last year.

“Last year I came in and wasn’t a full-time driver and it was more about just getting the experience and trying to have a good, solid run and not trying to be the quickest guy all the time and looking at consistency more,” Briscoe told the paper.
“Last year after I made the first qualifying attempt and we were sitting pretty good…we knew we had the speed to contend for the front row but just decided to sit back and be conservative. We’re going to be going out for the win this year and not just hanging back.”

Power also hit the wall in practice for the big race and told the Sydney Morning Herald that it was a set-back.

“Early in the week when I hit the wall, it knocked a lot of confidence out of me and set us back a fair way because we only qualified in 23rd,” Power said.

“When you hit the wall, it knocks your confidence in the car.”

Coverage of the Indy 500 starts at 2.50am Monday on ESPN (AEST) and a replay runs on the same channel at 7.30pm Monday.