Both Team Penske drivers recovered from early mistakes to finish among the top three Saturday night in the Bombardier Learjet 550k at Texas Motor Speedway.  The finishes kept both drivers – Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe - in the thick of the championship race as the season nears the midway point.

Castroneves recovered from a pit speed violation that resulted in a drive-through penalty to finish second and keep the championship pressure on race winner Scott Dixon, who he trails by a mere 35 points. “We had a great car, a winning car,” Castroneves said. “I’m upset because I feel like we had a great chance, but second place is a great finish. It’s great points, and that’s what we need to focus on.”

Briscoe also kept pace in the championship, holding fifth place in the standings with a podium finish that earlier in the race wouldn’t have been expected.

He missed his pit box on his first stop and the ensuing drive-through penalty under green dropped the No. 6 Team Penske Honda/Dallara a lap behind the leaders, but Briscoe and his team battled back.  “It was tough, let me tell you, but it was also fun coming through the field,” Briscoe said.

The series takes a week off before resuming June 22 at Iowa Speedway, kicking off a string of six races in six consecutive weekends.