Briscoe adds Bathurst to racing calendar
The 620-mile race, which is in its 50th year, is held at the Mount Panorama circuit in New South Wales. Briscoe, who last competed in the V8 Supercar Series in 2006, will join the Bundy Red Racing team.
Briscoe, driver of the No. 6 Team Penske car, also will compete Oct. 22-24 in the V8 Supercar Gold Coast 600 on the streets of Surfers Paradise. Seventeen other international drivers, including IZOD IndyCar Series championship contenders Dario Franchitti and Will Power, plus Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves and Alex Tagliani will join teams for the annual event.
Dixon, the 2003 and '08 IZOD IndyCar Series champion, traveled from Japan following the Indy Japan 300 to Melbourne, Australia, to start preparations with Kelly Racing.
"I think the best word to describe this event is interesting," Dixon said. "Most of the internationals have never raced a V8 Supercar, including me. It's always nice to see the competition, the friendly competition I like to call it, between the Aussies and the Kiwis."
Dixon was born is Brisbane, Australia, but was reared in New Zealand. He was the 2008 New Zealand Sportsman of the Year.
"For us international drivers I think we all want to try and come here and do a good job and help the team you are racing with because it's part of the championship," he continued. "So there is a lot of pressure and it's something that you've got to take seriously."
Power started from the pole and Briscoe won the October 2008 IZOD IndyCar Series exhibition race at Surfers Paradise. The international drivers are scheduled to put in a full day of testing at Queensland Raceway earlier in the week.