Briscoe had completed every prior lap this season and was leading the season points ladder when the race began but hit the wall and was knocked out in lap 26 of the 300-lap feature at the Richmond International Speedway.
The accident forced Briscoe to finish 19th in the 20 car field, with New Zealander Scott Dixon holding off teammate Dario Franchitti in the final 20 laps to claim his third win of the season.
“I lost the rear on the exit of two. I was really battling an understeer problem,” Briscoe said.
“It’s just so disappointing.”
Dixon’s second victory at Richmond was the Kiwi driver’s 19th IndyCar Series victory, matching the all-time record for the series that was formed in 1996.
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“It was about patience,” Dixon said. “It was really tough to pass. I have to hand it to Dario. He was making it intense. We were able to save a little more fuel than him and that was the difference.” Sydney Morning Herald
Within moments, the Penske crew hurried back to the garage to see if the car was fixable. It wasn’t. Briscoe’s fiancé, Nicole Manske, had a determined walk to the infield medical center to meet Briscoe, who checked out fine and was finishing a television interview.
“It didn’t look fixable when I hit the wall,” Briscoe said.
After his visit to the medical facility, Briscoe walked to the garage. He patted his crew on the back and shrugged his shoulders.
“Wow, it was totally unexpected,” he said. “I am not sure exactly what happened. I was fighting some understeer and it just looks like, I don’t even know, I was just coming back to the throttle and it snapped on me. It took me totally by surprise.”
At 9:10 p.m., his night over roughly 25 minutes after the green flag dropped, Briscoe entered his hauler. He shifted his focus from the present to the future.
Castroneves saw his night end on Lap 248 when he couldn’t avoid a slowing traffic in front of him. He hit the backstretch wall near where his teammate did.
“I had too much speed and hit the wall,” he said. “I avoided him, but unfortunately I ended up hitting the wall. I did not have much room. I don’t know what happened, but everybody slowed down real suddenly.”
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As the race’s final 17 laps played on television in front of them, Penske Racing President Tim Cindric and Roger Penske sat in a motorcoach. Richmond Times Dispatch
