IndyCar – Hildebrand replaced by Briscoe in Detroit

JR Hildebrand and Panther Racing have announced their mutual agreement to terminate their contract which was to guarantee the Californian a drive until the end of the season. The former Indy Lights champion remains on a second-place finish at the 500 Indianapolis 2011 as his best result after losing victory when he hit the wall in the final corner of the final lap. For his 37th start with the team, the 25-year-old American was the first driver to retire from the Indy 500, crashing on the fourth lap. “I want to thank Panther Racing for allowing me to drive the No. 12 National Guard DW4-Chevrolet. It was a privilege to represent our men and women in uniform. I look forward to starting the next chapter of my career in IndyCar."

After the arrival of Mike Conway at AJ Foyt Racing for the two races in Detroit, the grid will therefore be completed by the return of Ryan Briscoe. The Australian made a good return to the discipline by taking 12th place last weekend at the Indy 500 with Chip Ganassi Racing. The Level 5 Motorsports ALMS driver has seven victories in the discipline. “I am incredibly excited to return to IndyCar with Panther Racing and have the opportunity to drive the National Guard Chevrolet this weekend. I fought against this team for a long time and it will be fantastic to work with John Barnes (the team manager) and the Panther staff. I'm sure we can do great things together in Detroit. »