Tag Archives: Ryan Briscoe

Antonio Garcia Wins Third IMSA SportsCar Championship This Season at the Virginia International Raceway

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Make that No. 3 for Antonio Garcia…

The 37-year-old Spanish professional race car driver and Jan Magnussen won at the Virginia International Raceway on Sunday for their third IMSA SportsCar Championship victory of the season.

Arnold Garcia & Jan Magnussen

Garcia took the lead in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R with just more than 12 minutes remaining in the 2-hour, 40-minute race when Alexander Sims — who had dominated with Bill Auberlen in the No. 25 BMW — made a late pit stop.

Garcia finished 12.031 seconds ahead of the No. 67 Ford GT of Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook, and they increased their season lead to 16 points over Sims and Auberlen.

“It’s unbelievable for us to come away with a win,” Magnussen said. “Honestly, in the middle of the race, it kind of looked like a situation of, ‘OK, we aren’t losing too much in the championship, a couple of points here, a couple of points there, but we would still stay in the lead of the championship.’

“Then, for things to turn around like they did in the last half hour with the BMW coming up short [on fuel] and the Ferrari falling off, it was a crazy, absolutely crazy result. Such a fantastic result for the whole team.”

Toni Vilander and Giancarlo Fisichella were third in the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE.

Sims and Auberlen ended up fourth.

Montoya Wins IndyCar Series Race at Pocono Raceway

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Juan Pablo Montoya is back at the top of the podium in the IndyCar Series.

The 38-year-old Colombian racing driver won the IndyCar race Sunday at Pocono Raceway, the highlight of a triumphant return to open-wheel racing after seven years in NASCAR.

Juan Pablo Montoya

Montoya won for the first time in the CART/IndyCar Series since 2000 and had his first major victory since he won a road-course race at Watkins Glen in NASCAR in 2010.

Helio Castroneves was second to make it a 1-2 finish Sunday for Team Penske. With double points awarded in the 500-mile races, Castroneves moved into a tie for the points lead with Team Penske teammate Will Power.

Carlos Munoz, Ryan Briscoe and Scott Dixon completed the top five.

Montoya, who won from the pole, took the lead for good when Tony Kanaanwas forced to pit for fuel with four laps left. Montoya took it from there and continued to stamp himself a player in the championship hunt. He moved to fourth in the standings.

“As soon as we signed him, I knew he would be an asset for us, and a headache,” Castroneves said.

Montoya, the 1999 CART champion and 2000 Indianapolis 500, winner took the checkered flag to the sight of hundreds of Colombian fans waving the flag and cheering him on.

It was just the kind of scene he pictured when he decided to head home to open wheel. Montoya wanted a competitive ride again after lackluster results driving for Chip Ganassi in NASCAR. He knew his open-wheel return would have a learning curve: Montoya last ran in CART in 2000, then left Formula One midway through the 2006 season for NASCAR.

After only two top 10s in his first seven starts, Montoya reeled off a third, second and seventh in his past three. Now, he has the win needed to erase any lingering doubts that has move back to open wheel was the right one.

Muñoz Joins Andretti Autosport’s IndyCar Lineup

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Carlos Muñoz is joining forces with the famous Andretti racing family.

The 21-year-old Colombian professional racecar driver has joined Andretti Autosport’s IndyCar lineup next season.

Carlos Muñoz

Muñoz will join Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay on the four-car team.

Andretti said sponsorship for Muñoz will be announced at a later date.

Muñoz made his IndyCar debut in the 2013 Indianapolis 500. He started from the front row and finished second.

He was a replacement driver for injured Ryan Briscoe at Toronto in July and finished fourth. He also filled in last minute for E.J. Viso in the season finale at Fontana, where he crashed and finished 23rd.

Muñoz won four Indy Lights races in 2013 and five poles driving for Andretti.