Briscoe keeps Team Penske on top in Motegi

Ryan Briscoe

Ron McQueeney/IRL

Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe led the 25-car field for the 2nd IndyCar practice in Motegi, Japan with a lap of 200.894 mph (27.2382 seconds). Teammate Helio Castroneves (200.609 mph) was second in both sessions.

All four Andretti Autosport cars cracked the top 10 in the afternoon session, led by Tony Kanaan (200.276) in third. Danica Patrick was fourth (199.904), while Marco Andretti (199.248) was eighth and Ryan Hunter-Reay (199.026) ninth.

IZOD IndyCar Series championship points leader Will Power was sixth (199.663), while Dario Franchitti — who enters the 200-lap race 17 points off the pace — was next on the chart (199.494). Power was quickest in the first session. E.J. Viso was fifth quick (199.828) and two-time Indy Japan 300 winner Dan Wheldon was 10th (198.947).

The size of the crowd behind Takuma Sato's pit stand began to swell when the No. 5 Lotus entry emerged from the KV Racing Technology garage, and outgrew decent photo sightlines when the Japanese driver arrived on the scene.

Twenty minutes remained in the second practice session — at least some consolation for time and effort lost because of a crash after only five laps in the morning practice on the 1.5-mile oval. The cheering section on pit lane and its more sizable brethren in the main grandstand watched Sato get in 21 laps with a best of 196.321 mph (27.8727 seconds).

He drew the 18th spot for two-lap qualifications (2:30 a.m. ET live on indycar.com). An oil line failure spewed oil onto the rear tire of Sato's car, causing it to spin and make contact with the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier. The Holmatro Safety Team laid a chemical substance to soak up oil from the start/finish line all the way to the point of impact.

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