They’re coming off indifferent 2013 campaigns but Australian pair Ryan Briscoe and Will Power are both confident of success in this year’s IndyCar championship.

Power goes into this weekend’s season opener in St Petersburg, Florida, with a heap of momentum behind him after a strong finish to an otherwise disappointing 2013 championship.

The three-time series runner-up won three of the last five races in 2013 including back-to-back wins at Houston and the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

The Toowoomba product also dominated the pre-season practice in Alabama last week to show that his Team Penske car will be one of the vehicles to beat in 2014.

Power is a fast qualifier at St Petersburg, earning pole position for the past four years, but in that same time he only has one win at the venue, in 2010.

The 33-year-old believes he’s in a position to challenge defending champion Scott Dixon once more following his fast finish to last year.

“I’m very excited to start the 2014 season and I believe this Verizon team is ready to compete for the championship,” he said.

“I’ve finished second several times, so I’ve had pretty good seasons before.”

Key to Power’s confidence is how he’s seemingly overcome his troubles earning results on the championship’s American-style oval courses.

His season-ending win at the Fontana speedway has him believing that weakness is now less of an issue going into this year’s campaign.

“I do feel like I’m more of a threat on the ovals than ever before,” Power said.

“I knew that would only come with time.

“I felt great about our race at Milwaukee last year and we won at Fontana. So am I confident? Yes, but I’m a confident driver.”

Sydney product Ryan Briscoe will return to the championship as a fulltime driver after a stop-start campaign last year where he competed in seven races with a broken wrist midway through the championship also holding him back.

Fortunately Briscoe has landed on his feet, earning a drive with Dixon’s powerful Chip Ganassi Racing outfit after they expanded to a four-car operation.

The 32-year-old isn’t mincing his words about his ambitions after a year scraping to prove himself.

“I’m serious about winning a championship,” Briscoe told the Detroit Free Press.

“I’m here to run for the championship and nothing less.”

The 2014 IndyCar championship gets underway with the 198 mile (319km) Grand Prix of St Petersburg on Sunday (Monday AM AEDT).