Briscoe finds himself in shadows despite success

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Ryan Briscoe is a little surprised to find himself mentioned among the favorites for Sunday's Indianapolis 500.

It's no surprise to the rest of Penske Racing.

Team president Tim Cindric calls him a producer, and two-time Indy winner Helio Castroneves says Briscoe is the consummate teammate.

Briscoe, a 27-year-old Australian, acknowledges he's driving with more confidence on ovals this season -- and he should be.

In the past 12 months Briscoe has won more races (three) than his better known teammate, recorded seven top-five finishes and moved to second in this season's standings, one point behind leader Tony Kanaan.

Breakthrough? No, just another day in the shadow of the charismatic Castroneves, who was recently on trial for tax evasion and acquitted of most charges.

"I really don't mind," Briscoe said. "Helio's been around a lot longer, he's won a lot more, he's had a lot of publicity outside of racing, too."

Briscoe joined the series in 2005 with Target Chip Ganassi.

Back then, he was better known for getting into accidents than running up front. Seven of his first 14 IndyCar starts ended in crashes, and he wound up running a part-time schedule with the lower-budget Dreyer & Reinbold team in 2006.

But Roger Penske saw potential. He hired Briscoe for his American Le Mans Series team in 2007, and his son, Jay, the co-owner of Luczo Dragon Racing, gave Briscoe a chance to drive at Indy in 2007. Briscoe started seventh and finished fifth in that race.

When Sam Hornish Jr. left for NASCAR following that season, opening a seat on the IRL's most prominent team, Penske disregarded suggestions Briscoe was a risk and brought him on board.

At first, things didn't go well.

Briscoe finished 19th and 23rd in last season's first two races, going out in accidents both times. At Indy, he started third but wound up 23rd after colliding with Danica Patrick on pit road, prompting Patrick to stomp toward his pit in disgust.

The accident led to a meeting with Penske and Cindric, which seemed to change everything. Briscoe won at Milwaukee the next week and Mid-Ohio later, finished in the top 10 nine times in the last 12 points races, then won again in this year's season-opener at St. Petersburg before qualifying second for Sunday's race.

What's changed?

"Oval experience," Briscoe said. "It's hard to put a handle on one thing, but I had only been in a handful of oval races going into my first year. I had to turn laps and do races."

Briscoe has been as good as any driver on the circuit since June 2008. But he's still relatively unknown.

Castroneves, a Brazilian, and Patrick remain the most marketable personalities in IndyCars. Brazil's Kanaan, the 2004 points champ, has been arguably the most consistent driver. Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal have big followings because of their surnames, youth and early wins. And Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti are the last two Indy winners and points champs.

"Yes, Helio, has gotten a lot more accolades," Cindric said. "But he's been here a lot longer, too. We've had this before with Gil (de Ferran) and others, and I have told Ryan that it will come in time. The biggest thing now is he's getting results, and he doesn't have to answer those questions about whether he was the right guy to replace Sam."

Certainly not after this month at Indy.

After qualifying second, he made a gutsy move by withdrawing the run to take a shot at Castroneves' pole-winning speed. The result: Briscoe qualified second again, at 224.083 mph, behind Castroneves' 224.664.

That puts Briscoe in the middle of the first row for Sunday's race, sandwiched between Castroneves and Franchitti, who's back after spending part of last season on the NASCAR circuit, with Rahal, Dixon and Kanaan right behind.

And Castroneves will be keeping watch for Briscoe.

"He's not here because he's pretty or lucky," he said. "He's here because he talented and strong."

Analysis: Mayfield madness hangs over NASCAR

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- When Jeremy Mayfield failed a drug test, NASCAR immediately suspended him indefinitely, eager to quickly address the situation.

Nine days later, Mayfield's still the talk of the garage -- for all the wrong reasons.

It's certainly not because of who he is -- a driver at least five years past his prime who had to reach into his own pocket to field a team when no one else would hire him.

And it's not because he's the first driver suspended under NASCAR's toughened new drug policy.

No, it's because so many people, including Mayfield, have so many unanswered questions, prompting a circus-like atmosphere.

Last weekend, Mayfield was the ringmaster.

Despite his suspension, he showed up for Saturday night's All-Star race and watched the preliminary event from the top of the National Guard's hospitality center in the infield of Lowe's Motor Speedway.

It didn't take long for word to spread that Mayfield was on track property -- a violation of the terms of his suspension -- and reporters had no trouble finding the 39-year-old driver. When he came down from his perch, he was eager to talk and insisted his positive test stemmed from the use of a prescription drug he wouldn't identify and the over-the-counter allergy medication Claritin-D.

He denied ever using an illegal drug and said he had yet to be told exactly what substance was found in his positive test, an assertion the administrator of NASCAR's drug program denied Monday.

But Saturday night, it was all Mayfield, the cars whizzing by on the race track just background noise.

His presence disrupted "The Show," the one thing NASCAR tries to protect above everything else. From the scoring tower above the track, NASCAR's top officials dispatched a security officer to remove Mayfield from the property and seize his admission credentials.

And if not for a thrilling final 10-lap sprint to the finish, the Mayfield sideshow, not the $1 million race, might have become the main event. NASCAR was saved that embarrassment, though, by electrifying racing from its biggest stars.

It has yet to find a remedy for its biggest headache.

Mayfield has indicated he doesn't plan to participate in the rehabilitation process that's necessary for reinstatement, and he's considering legal action to rescind his suspension.

NASCAR can't seem to control the situation, in large part because it refuses to reveal what banned drug Mayfield tested positive for in the random sample taken May 1 at Richmond International Raceway.

What is known is that NASCAR chairman Brian France considers this a "serious violation" of the drug policy, and he applies that terminology to the use of performance-enhancers and recreational drugs. Because a person familiar with the test results has told The Associated Press that Mayfield's case is not steroid-related, it means the results showed the use of an illegal recreational drug.

Mayfield says otherwise.

NASCAR says nothing.

And rumors run rampant through the garage.

Drivers now worry and wonder what they can and can't take under NASCAR's zero-tolerance policy, which doesn't even provide drivers a detailed list of banned substances. Although a baseline exists for crew members, NASCAR did not create one for drivers, because it reserved the right to test for anything it wants.

Nevermind that Dr. David Black, CEO of Aegis Sciences Corp., which runs the testing program, has repeatedly denounced Mayfield's explanation. And France also carefully explained that drivers will not be suspended for the proper use of medications.

"If you should test positive for over-the-counter medications or a prescribed medication that you are on with your doctor, that doesn't result in NASCAR suspending you," France said. "You will ... be asked to explain why you have a certain substance that was identified in a test. That's happened a lot, and it doesn't get you a suspension."

Still, drivers worry that mixing something from the drug store with something they already take might make them the next Mayfield.

Until they learn exactly what Mayfield used any explanation likely will fall on deaf ears.

NASCAR forming online racing series

NASCAR and iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations are joining forces to create a NASCAR-sanctioned online racing series, a new competition division that will be licensed by NASCAR and organized and hosted by iRacing.

Beginning in 2010, NASCAR fans around the world will be able to log onto the Internet and compete against one another, as well as a number of NASCAR drivers, in an official NASCAR series featuring digital duplicates of real-world NASCAR cars and tracks.

"The online world is an ever-growing marketplace filled with NASCAR fans," said Blake Davidson, managing director of licensing products for NASCAR. "To provide those fans with the most realistic NASCAR racing environment, iRacing was the right partner for us."

Davidson said Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski and A.J. Allmendinger are the drivers who will be competing in iRacing.

"Their involvement, along with NASCAR Competition, in the development will make the experience even more authentic," he noted.

More than 12,000 people have signed up for iRacing's service since it was opened to the public in August 2008. The company uses laser scanning and other technology to accurately simulate the tracks and NASCAR's race cars.

"Our members are passionate about racing," said John Henry, the owner of the Boston Red Sox and iRacing's co-founder and chairman as well as head of the company that co-owns NASCAR's Roush Fenway Racing. "They love to drive, and they love to compete. And they do it in the context of their overall love for racing in both the physical and virtual worlds."

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TV TENURE: Sunday's broadcast of the Indianapolis 500 will mark the 45th consecutive year that the race has been aired on ABC.

In sports TV, that's second only to the 53 years that CBS has broadcast the Masters.

ESPN on ABC's telecast Sunday begins at noon.

Martin Reid will do the lap-by-lap announcing, with former Indy winner Eddie Cheever and longtime driver Scott Goodyear in the booth as analysts.

The pit lane crew will include Jack Arute, who has worked on the Indy 500 telecast every year since 1984, Jamie Little, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welsh.

NASCAR doc: Mayfield was told about substance

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The administrator of NASCAR's drug-testing program said Monday he personally told Jeremy Mayfield what banned substance was found in his positive test.

Dr. David Black, CEO of Aegis Sciences Corp., which runs the testing program, said he specifically identified the drug in several conversations with the Sprint Cup driver over a three-day period after NASCAR suspended him.

"I spoke with him about his positive test result on the day he was suspended, and I spoke to him directly about the test result," Black told The Associated Press. "Yes, by name of what he tested positive for."

On Saturday, Mayfield said he was never told what drug caused the positive test and has yet to receive a copy of the results.

Black said he was not sure if Mayfield has seen the test results because a copy would be issued by NASCAR, not Aegis.

NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said he was not aware of any request by Mayfield to obtain the results.

"We'd be happy to provide one if he wants it," Poston said. "We've done this in the past upon request for those who tested positive."

Mayfield maintains the use of a prescription drug with over-the-counter allergy medication Claritin-D led to his positive result.

Black has repeatedly rejected that explanation.

"I did address specifically and explicitly what he tested positive for, and that led to the discussion of his over-the-counter and prescription use," Black said. "I explained carefully and completely that his positive test result was not related to an over-the-counter or a prescription.

"They were not the cause, and could not be the cause, of his result."

NASCAR has refused to reveal the substance. Citing that policy, Black also declined to identify the drug.

NASCAR chairman Brian France has described Mayfield's test as a "serious violation" of the substance-abuse policy, and he categorized that as use of a performance-enhancer or a recreational drug. A person familiar with the test results has told the AP the positive test was not for performance-enhancers, meaning the positive test resulted from an illegal recreational drug.

Mayfield, who watched a portion of Saturday night's All-Star events from the top of a hospitality suite in the infield of Lowe's Motor Speedway, told reporters he did not use an illegal drug, insisting he used Claritin-D and a prescription drug he declined to identify.

"They didn't say what I took. They don't know what I took," Mayfield said. "A legal prescription drug, that's what I take. And I had allergies at Richmond that were really, really bad. On (May 7) I got a call and said you've tested positive for whatever they called it.

"I said, 'OK, no problem. I've got all my paperwork ready.' He said 'You'll fax that to us; it'll cancel out your test."'

Mayfield said his next conversation with NASCAR was two days later, when he was told his backup "B" sample had also tested positive and he had been suspended.

NASCAR said there were numerous conversations between Mayfield and a medical review officer before he was suspended.

Black would not say what prescription drug Mayfield said he had used in conjunction with Claritin-D.

"He did bring up Claritin-D as a part of his explanation, and I was very clear that Claritin-D was not responsible for his positive test," he said. "It could result for a positive pseudoephedrine test, but not for the drug that he's tested positive for."

Black said his last conversation with Mayfield was one week ago, and he was left with the impression the driver would participate in the reinstatement process and "move on in a positive manner."

Since then, Aegis representatives have been unsuccessful in speaking to Mayfield about starting a rehabilitation process, Black said.

Mayfield said Saturday he would not go to rehab and may seek legal action to rescind his indefinite suspension.

Gordon has minor procedure to help back pain

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Jeff Gordon had an injection in his back to help ease the pain he's had for more than a year, and the four-time NASCAR champion says he'll be able to drive this weekend in the longest race of the season.

Gordon was treated Monday in a procedure that typically calls for an injection of lidocaine or anti-inflammatory medication.

Gordon, the Sprint Cup Series points leader, is sore but looking forward to the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway .

"I'll definitely take that brief bit of soreness if it stops the recurring back pain I've had," he said Tuesday. "I hope that will end the back issues I've been having, but it's too early to tell if that fixed the problem."

Gordon zeroed in on a cause for his aching back last month. An MRI revealed a touch of arthritis and other issues he described as possibly related to "trauma, from a crash, or maybe just from years of beating it up."

He silently suffered through chronic back pain all of last year, his first winless season since his 1993 rookie year. He revealed his condition at the start of this season when he began using a trainer to help him properly stretch his back before and after races.

He timed the medical procedure to give him relief before Sunday night's 600 miles of racing.

"This is a grueling race," he said. "It's tough on equipment, and it's tough mentally. You have to mentally stay in the game and be focused for 600 miles. I'm really looking forward to the event. Obviously, I want to see how my back does, but I also think we can challenge for the win."

Hornish wins continues sudden NASCAR surge

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Some 600 miles away from Lowe's Motor Speedway, nervous drivers fretted over the final qualifying day for the Indianapolis 500.

Sam Hornish Jr. was thrilled to be as far away as possible.

It didn't hurt, of course, that he was busy celebrating his first NASCAR victory.

After almost three years of agonizing struggles, Hornish finally found success in stock cars by winning a qualifying race that earned him a spot in the All-Star race. The non-points victory was his first of any kind since he left the IndyCar Series for a full-time move to NASCAR in late 2007.

"This is the first time I have ever won anything in stock cars, so I am pretty happy about that," he said after Saturday night's win. "Obviously it's not going to say in the stat book that I won a race, so we're going to keep working until we get to that point. You know, I have worked almost three years at doing this now, trying to get our first win of any sort. That part feels good.

"But I am going to keep hungry, keep working, until we get a win on a points weekend."

It seemed Hornish would never get there as recently as a month ago, when his season-best result of 16th at Las Vegas was overshadowed by four finishes of 31st or worse. He wasn't competitive in consecutive short-track races at Bristol at Martinsville, and it was beginning to appear as if one of the greatest American drivers in open-wheel history was going to be yet another NASCAR bust.

Then he moved on to Phoenix, where familiarity with the track from his open-wheel days helped Hornish to a ninth-place finish -- his first career top 10. He ran well the next week at Talladega until a late accident ruined his shot at another strong finish, but bounced back with a career-best sixth-place finish at Richmond.

Darlington was a struggle -- he wrecked and finished 30th -- but he came back strong with Saturday night's win in the Sprint Showdown. Although he finished 16th out of 21 drivers in the $1 million main event, the victory that transferred him in was proof that Hornish is on a monthlong surge that shows he can make it in NASCAR.

"I've told people for a long time that you've got to start getting 10th-place finishes, and then you've got to start getting top-fives, and then you can start winning," he said. "We've had a long road here. I'm really happy that Penske Racing and (sponsor) Mobil 1 kept me in the car, and if we keep working away at it, we're going to get there."

The gratitude toward team owner Roger Penske and his sponsor drew pause: Was Hornish in danger of losing his ride after a rough rookie season in which he failed to qualify for two races and finished 35th in the points?

"Nobody ever said anything to me, but I am the first one that wants the team to succeed," he said. "I know that Mobil 1 puts a lot of money into it and that Penske puts a lot of time and effort into it. But when it comes down to it, I don't want to be just another guy out there driving around. I want to be a guy out there competing for race wins.

"If we are not winning, I take it just as hard as anybody. I am glad they saw that we were making progress."

Hornish had never before struggled to find success, winning three IndyCar titles and the 2006 Indy 500 for the one victory that had eluded an otherwise tremendous open-wheel career. He left for NASCAR a little more than a year later, saying he'd accomplished everything he could in IndyCar.

Now far removed from Sunday's final day of Indy 500 qualifying, he doesn't regret the move or long to be back at the Brickyard for the long month of May leading into the biggest race of the year.

"Being at Indy for three weeks, and all you do is think about it for a week before that, it made me sick to my stomach just because that's all you focused on," he said. "I love being over here. I love being able to go to Richmond, Darlington, I get to come here and run the All-Star race and then you cap it off with the (Coca-Cola) 600 next week.

"It's a lot of fun and I like the way the schedule goes. You're not at one place for three-and-a-half weeks just thinking about one single race."

Hornish wins Showdown to move into All-Star race

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Sam Hornish Jr. won the Sprint Showdown to earn a transfer spot into NASCAR's All-Star race.

It's the second consecutive year Hornish has raced his way into the $1 million main event at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He finished second a year ago to AJ Allmendinger to earn one of the two transfer spots.

Jamie McMurray finished second to earn the other transfer position.

Joey Logano was the third driver to advance into the race in the slot reserved for a driver voted into the All-Star race by fans.

Jeremy Mayfield, suspended by NASCAR last week for failing a random drug test, watched the Showdown from the top of a hospitality center. His No. 41 Mayfield Motorsports entry was driven to a 22nd-place finish by J.J. Yeley.

In the hours leading up to the race, a plane pulled a "Free Jeremy" banner around the track in an apparent nod of support to the first driver suspended under NASCAR's toughened drug policy. Mayfield was suspended indefinitely for a test taken May 1 at Richmond International Raceway.

NASCAR has not revealed what substance Mayfield tested positive for, but chairman Brian France called it "a serious violation" and categorized that as use of either a performance-enhancer or recreational drug. A person familiar with the test results has told The Associated Press the positive result was not for a performance-enhancer, leaving either a narcotic or controlled substance as cause of the positive result.

Mayfield denied ever taking an illegal substance, and said NASCAR has yet to inform him what he tested positive for and that he's yet to receive a copy of the results.

"All I want to do is race and be treated fairly," said Mayfield, repeating a claim he took a legal prescription for allergies. "They didn't say what I took. They don't know what I took."

Dr. David Black, CEO of Aegis Sciences Corp. in Nashville, Tenn., which runs the testing program, did not immediately return a call Saturday night for comment regarding Mayfield's claims.

The suspension covers Mayfield's role owner, so the No. 41 was transferred to Mayfield's wife, Shana, earlier this week. She stood with the team on pit road before the race, then headed out of the back gate of the garage following pre-race ceremonies.

"He wants to race. He wants to be at the race tracks and be in a race car," she said when asked about Mayfield's spirits. "He's not doing well in that area. Other than that, we're just going through the motions.