Power, Briscoe Return To Australia For Gold Coast 600
October 23, 2012
GOLD COAST, Australia (October 21, 2012) – Drivers Will Power and Ryan Briscoe put their elite international talent on display as they returned to their native Australia to race in the Gold Coast 600 last weekend during the popular V8 Supercars’ Surfers Paradise event.
Both Power, driving for the FPR team, and Briscoe, with HRT Holden, were partnered with a full-time Australia V8 Supercar Series driver for the event. After an eventful 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season which saw Power finish as series runner up in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske machine and Briscoe earning a sixth-place series finish in the No. 2 IZOD/Hitachi Dallara/Chevrolet, the Surfers Paradise race offered both Australian racers the opportunity to compete in front of the home country fans. The weekend activities featured seven other IndyCar Series drivers and 102-lap races both Saturday and Sunday around the 1.8-mile, 15-turn beachside street circuit. This format is similar to what IndyCar will showcase in 2013 with doubleheader races at Detroit, Toronto and Houston.
Saturday’s race saw Power team with Mark Winterbottom to earn a podium finish with Briscoe finishing just behind him in fourth place with teammate Garth Tander. Power followed up with another podium finish on Sunday while Briscoe recorded his second top-five result.
Power earned two surfboard trophies for his two podium finishes.
“I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed working with Mark,” said Power, who won the Pole at Surfers Paradise in the 2006 Champ Car World Series race and in 2008 during the IndyCar Series exhibition race at the venue, which was won by Briscoe and Team Penske. “He is a brilliant driver and two third places give me two surfboards to take home and use on the lake in Charlotte.”
The drivers will enjoy the rest of the offseason before testing begins in December in preparation for the start of the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series in St. Petersburg, FL., on March 24.