IndyCar Series drivers and teams are preparing for races on four consecutive weekends. The first two races will be on the short ovals at Iowa Speedway (June 21) and Richmond International Raceway (June 27), followed by a road course at Watkins Glen International Raceway (July 5) and the IndyCar Series’ first visit to the temporary street circuit in Toronto (July 12).
Ryan Briscoe, who leads the point standings by three over reigning champion Scott Dixon, hopes to start the stretch with his first win of the season.
“Iowa is a really fun track to drive,” Briscoe said. “It’s a fast, high-banked short oval, so the racing is similar to running on a superspeedway, but we’re turning on a very tight radius. The circuit certainly provides one of the more physically and mentally demanding events of the season, and I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge. The Team Penske car has been very competitive the past few events, and we’ve had consistently solid results all season;
hopefully we’ll be able to capitalize on that momentum and earn our first win in Iowa.”
Franchitti won at both Iowa and Richmond during his championship campaign in 2007, and he won at Toronto in CART in 1999.
“(This week) starts that stretch of Iowa and Richmond, two tracks that I really enjoy,” Franchitti said. “I’m looking forward to learning (Scott) Dixon’s secrets from the Glen. You have to be good at every track. You can’t let up in any spots.”
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