A Case for Briscoe

After weeks of speculation, including some far-fetched ideas, Chip Ganassi named the driver to replace Dario Franchitti. And as was expected after Marshall Pruett broke the story mere days before the big announcement, Ganassi went with the safe pick: move Tony Kanaan to Dario's #10 Target car, and add Ryan Briscoe to the car originally slotted for TK, the #8 machine sponsored by NTT Data. Some fans are lamenting the choice, saying Briscoe has had his chance to drive for a top team and under-performed. Others are calling it an unexciting decision that will not inspire more people to follow IndyCar. But to team Target Chip Ganassi, and to me, the move makes perfect sense. It is simply a wise business decision.

In our speech communication courses we teach the group problem-solving process, which is a six-step process that groups should follow to arrive at a well-thought out decision upon which all can agree. Having gone through the process myself on some committees, I can tell you that it works and it saves a lot of time. But trying to stress the importance of following this process to our students can be challenging. Most students, and professionals, want to jump in and start finding a solution without fully analyzing the problem or establishing criteria for a good solution. And clearly many fans jumped onto the "let's find a solution NOW" bandwagon, because discussion forums were filled with suggestion after suggestion of who should fill the empty seat. It's reassuring to see that Team Ganassi did not do this. They followed the systematic problem-solving process by laying out their criteria first, before they even started discussing possible replacements for Dario.

What criteria did they establish? For one, they said they wanted an experienced IndyCar driver, someone who was already familiar with the DW12 and who had some prowess on ovals. That automatically eliminated a lot of drivers. But this was a smart statement. With a big sponsor like Target, they could not really afford to take a big risk and hire an inexperienced driver who might cause some embarrassment in an IndyCar. Team Ganassi also said they wanted their new driver to have a good relationship with their sponsor, and they would discuss possibilities with their sponsors to see who the sponsors preferred. This is an important lesson for all drivers and team owners: don't tick off a sponsor; keep them happy so they dollars keep flowing. Lastly, they wanted an unselfish team player with a record of winning races.

So who did that leave then? Alex Tagliani, who had stepped in for Dario at Fontana, and who had done some off-season testing in the Target car. Tony Kanaan, who was already signed by Ganassi, and, being the most recent Indy 500 winner, also has some name recognition and fan popularity that sponsors love. And Ryan Briscoe, who had driven the NTT Data car in the Indy 500, and who had been driving off and on in 2013 for Panther Racing. Sure, there are other experienced IndyCar drivers, including some who are good on ovals, but these were the top three who met most or all of Ganassi's criteria. It made the most sense to move TK over to the Target car, as he has the most experience, the most popularity, and was Dario's choice. So the question then became, who would take over the reigns of the #8 car?

I do not know how Target felt about Tags, but Ganassi did speak admirably of him at the IndyCar banquet. He was impressed with how Tagliani stepped in at the last minute but was able to run up at the front in the season finale. However, Tags does not have a proven record of winning races. He has only won one race during his tenure in IndyCar and Champ Car, and that was back in 2004. He was fired by his team for poor performance in 2013, which does not make a good impression. Having been the lone driver for Barracuda Racing for awhile, too, it's difficult to ascertain if he is a "team player."

Briscoe, on the other hand, has everything Ganassi is looking for. Experience? Check. He's been driving IndyCars since 2005. Prowess on ovals? Check. He won the pole at Indianapolis in 2012, and has always run well at Texas. Sponsor relationship? Check.  NTT Data knew him and loved him from their time together in Indianapolis. From personal experience, I know Briscoe is also great with fans, taking extra time to greet them and sign autographs or take pictures. He's one of the nicest drivers in the paddock, so I'm sure that means he gets along well with sponsors too. Unselfish team player? Check. You sort of have to be when you race for Team Penske. (And I'm sure Briscoe's "inside knowledge" of how Penske operates was a big plus for Team Ganassi as well.) Record of winning races? Check. Briscoe has won seven races in IndyCar, more than most, if not all, of those other drivers out there on the market. Say what you want about him under-performing for Team Penske, but he does win races. He won at Sonoma in 2012, and he won last year driving for Level 5 Motorsports in ALMS. He is a winner.

So was Briscoe the safe choice? Yes. But he was also the smart choice. I for one am thrilled that Briscoe will be back in IndyCar full time next year, even if he is competing for Team Ganassi (not my favorite team owner, that's for sure). We now have three superteams in IndyCar, with Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti, but each of those superteams has at least three impressive drivers. The 2014 season will be fantastic theater. I can't wait.