Ryan Briscoe confirmed at Chip Ganassi IRL

pixelboy · Post by **pixelboy** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 7:19 am

Good work Ryan. I hope he manages to get back to F1 in the next few years.

http://f1.racing-live.com/en/headlines/ ... 2810.shtml

Scottie · Post by **Scottie** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 9:07 am

good news...

I just hope the IRL doesn't warp his mind and make him crap in f1 when he gets back... I guess he should be ok... he's taking the same path as montoya, f1 testing, indycars, back to F1.

fp · Post by fp » Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:56 pm

What a waste, there goes any hope Ryan had of becoming a F1 driver. He couldn't have made a bigger jump down the ladder if he tried... but i guess when you're Toyota's bitch you don't get much say in where they make you race when they deem you unnecessary to their F1 program.

Scottie wrote:I guess he should be ok... he's taking the same path as montoya, f1 testing, indycars, back to F1.

Not quite right, Montoya spent two seasons in ChampCar before entering F1. During his time in the Americas he only started one Indycar race, which he completely dominated.

Exar Kun · Post by **Exar Kun** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 3:26 pm

I was thinking the same thing as Dan. From a potential F1 drive to the IRL is a big step backwards and something he'll have trouble recovering from. I wish him well in the USA though - hopefully he can prove his worth on the ovals.

pixelboy · Post by **pixelboy** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 3:49 pm

I dont think its all over for him... He's still quite young

If he can do well in IRL (and I think he will) and win lots of races.. then he will make it back to F1. Toyota will get sick of Ralf and Jano in a year or two.

Its better getting race experience than testing for the next two years, look at Gene, Wurz and Zonta etc

fp · Post by fp » Tue Jan 18, 2005 6:02 pm

Fact of the matter is that no IRL driver has ever gone on to F1. Two have been granted limited test drives, and a further one had a couple demonstration laps paid for by the USGP promoter. The IRL has proven to be anything but a path to F1. The fixed races, the total lack of road courses, and driver ability bearing minimal influence on their performance might have something to do with it.

I wholeheartedly agree that racing in a feeder caterogry is a better alternative to part-time testing while not racing, and there are numerous open wheel series' in Europe and Asia which would suit.
Unfortunatley for Ryan, while there is no longer any room for him at Toyota F1, he's still under contract to Toyota, who fund nearly half the grid in the IRL, and have decided to use him as a seat filler in the league until they quit as a manufacturer in a couple of seasons.

I just hope Ryan avoids the cheese-grater and gets through his time there un-injured.

w00dsy · Post by **w00dsy** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 7:53 pm

But, would you rather win in a 2nd rate class, or be a back marker in a 1st rate class? It's good to see he's got a good head though, a lot of guys have taken a punt on a bad F1 team and it's ruined their career.

Scottie · Post by **Scottie** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 6:49 pm

fp wrote:Montoya spent two seasons in ChampCar before entering F1. During his time in the Americas he only started one Indycar race, which he completely dominated.

Champ car didn't merge with IRL?!
The two are getting closer and closer to eachothers specs... sorry, i'm confusing myself and thinking aloud :S aargh... dont mind me

w00dsy · Post by **w00dsy** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 6:50 pm

IRL will be turning right on 3 occasions this year, so at least he'll get some good racing in.

fp · Post by fp » Thu Jan 20, 2005 2:36 pm

Scottie wrote:Champ car didn't merge with IRL?!
... sorry, i'm confusing myself and thinking aloud :S aargh... dont mind me

Indeed, it can be quite confusing for the uninformed.
ChampCar is the original 'IndyCar', the championship that has been around since 1909. In 1996 the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, fresh out of rehab for a cocain addiction, threw a temper tantrum and decided to create his own open wheel series, a decision which has left the open wheel scene in north america in the dismal position it's in today.
Some how, the court granted him exclusive rights to the term 'Indycar' in the United States, and not the series that with the eighty-seven year history that made the term 'Indycar' a household name.

Rots · Post by **Rots** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 3:03 pm

Why does that not surprise me?

Scottie · Post by **Scottie** » Fri Jan 21, 2005 1:31 am

bloody yanks...

(no offence to americans who visit here :P)

spoonsports · Post by **spoonsports** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 12:51 am

bloody yanks.....

(any americans who take offense, boohoo to you)

Montey · Post by **Montey** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 1:28 am

Briscoe has essentially shot his F1 career in the head with this move. No driver in recent history has ever come from the American circuit(s) and succeeded in F1. Montoya is a useless, arrogant pratt and Zanardi was a great guy but ended up going back to the US with his tail between his legs.

The only guy to be truely successful in both the F1 scene and US scene in recent history was Nigel Mansell, and he made a failed attempt to return to F1 after his US success largely due to the US circuit ruining his abilities.

I expect Brisco will have some good short term success in the Indy series at least, but he will never make a successful reappearance on the F1 circuit.

If I ran in to Ryan on the street one day I'd probably thwap him across the back of the head 'cos I think he's a better driver than Webber.