Tag: Chase Briscoe

Briscoe ready for an emotional roller coaster in last ride at Indy with No. 14

Chase Briscoe is ready for a bittersweet weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I’m excited,” Briscoe said of NASCAR competing on the oval. “It’s going to be cool. The fact that I get to run a Brickyard 400 is really special, and to do it with how …

Chase Briscoe is ready for a bittersweet weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I’m excited,” Briscoe said of NASCAR competing on the oval. “It’s going to be cool. The fact that I get to run a Brickyard 400 is really special, and to do it with how everything has played out with Stewart-Haas Racing shutting down means a lot to me getting to do it at least once in the 14 car.

“I cried at the driver intro ride-around deal at the road course. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like at the Brickyard.”

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The last time a Cup Series race was run on the Indianapolis oval was in 2020, and it was without fans in the stands because of the pandemic. A year later, with its intermediate competition lacking and road courses in favor, NASCAR moved both the Cup Series and the Xfinity Series events to the Indianapolis road course in 2021.

Briscoe moved into the series as a rookie with Stewart-Haas that same year. An Indiana native (Mitchell), Briscoe grew up watching and attending races at Indianapolis. He plans to return home well before the weekend starts to see family and Friday, Briscoe will run a sprint car race at the same track he went to every Friday night as a kid.

“I haven’t raced there in 10 [plus] years,” Briscoe said. “So, it’s going to be a cool weekend in general to run the sprint car at Bloomington and then also get to knock off a bucket list thing in the Brickyard 400.”

It hasn’t been lost on Briscoe that his first oval race at Indianapolis will be the first and last time he drives the No. 14 car at the speedway. Briscoe idolized Tony Stewart as a young driver, and Stewart is now his car owner, having hand-picked Briscoe to drive the No. 14 Ford Mustang.

“It is cool and it’s special,” Briscoe said. “That was something that didn’t even hit me until the week after the announcement came out. We were doing an interview with IMS and they mentioned that this would be the only time I would get to run 14 there, and I didn’t even think about it. I got emotional thinking about it even then, and I talked to Tony about a week or two after, and I said, ‘Hey, I just did this interview the other week. This is going to be the last time the 14 with you owning it runs at Indy,’ and I could tell it kind of hit him, too. He didn’t really think about that.

“It’s going to be a special weekend. It’s going to be a sad weekend, truthfully, but it is special. As a kid, if you had told me I get to run a Brickyard 400 driving for Tony Stewart, I would have never believed it. It’s definitely a cool opportunity. It’s something that I’m going to make sure I get a lot of pictures of — and hopefully, a lot of pictures kissing the bricks at the end.”

Stewart relates to Briscoe’s enthusiasm about the weekend ahead. The two-time Indianapolis winner sees all of the connections and finds it fitting that it all comes together this year.

“There’s a lot of tradition there,” Stewart said. “A.J. [Foyt] was my hero, and Chase says that I was his hero, which kind of completes the circle of how special Indy is and how special the 14 is to us. I’m excited for him. This isn’t going to be his last one [but] it is going to be our last one.”

Crew chief Small has something of his own to prove in moving on from Truex

Crew chief James Small is embracing the opportunity to work with Chase Briscoe next season at Joe Gibbs Racing because there is common ground between the two. “I think our goals … we obviously both have a lot to prove,” Small said of his new driver …

Crew chief James Small is embracing the opportunity to work with Chase Briscoe next season at Joe Gibbs Racing because there is common ground between the two.

“I think our goals … we obviously both have a lot to prove,” Small said of his new driver for next season. “So, I’m super excited and looking forward to next season and prove what we can do to everybody.”

Briscoe will replace Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 Toyota Camry next season. The 43-year-old Truex informed owner Joe Gibbs of his intention to retire from full-time NASCAR competition earlier this month. Gibbs was already working on having Briscoe ready to sign a contract if Truex did decide to retire and the 29-year-old was signed later that same day.

Small (pictured at left, above, with Truex) has been the crew chief of the No. 19 car since 2020. The ’25 season will be the first time he’s worked with someone other than Truex.

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“We’re all super excited on the team, obviously,” Small said. “We’ve been a little bit in limbo every year trying to work out which way he [Truex] was going to go, but now it allows us to build for the future, and Chase is an amazing talent. I didn’t know him at all until last week; spent an hour with him, and we had a really good chat.”

As a crew chief, Small has eight victories with Truex. Briscoe has one victory since becoming a Cup Series driver in 2021, and he isn’t downplaying the pressure of performing in Gibbs equipment. If things don’t go well, Briscoe believes his career is over.

There is a similar feeling for Small, who wants to show that he and his team can succeed without Truex. The two have not only worked together as crew chief and driver, but Small has a history with Truex dating back to Furniture Row Racing when he was a team engineer. All of his success, thus far, has been tied to Truex, who has put together a Hall of Fame career.

So, when Small openly expresses that Briscoe isn’t the one with something to prove, it’s tied to his résumé. Small was the protégé of Cole Pearn, and it was a natural fit to step into the crew chief role when Pearn left racing.

“I think maybe a little bit (of it is) the way I got this job originally,” Small said. “Working with Martin, he’s a legend and coming into that. I feel like maybe people think he’s awesome and everything, but we really believe in ourselves as a team and we know we can do it without him.

“I was just touching on that. We want to prove that we can do it by ourselves, and Chase is the absolute perfect driver to do that with.”

Chase Briscoe gives honest take on future with Joe Gibbs Racing

Chase Briscoe gives an honest take on his NASCAR future if he doesn’t succeed with Joe Gibbs Racing. Find out what Briscoe said about it!

NASCAR’s worst-kept secret was finally revealed as [autotag]Chase Briscoe[/autotag] was announced as the next driver of the No. 19 Cup car for [autotag]Joe Gibbs Racing[/autotag] in 2025. Briscoe will replace Martin Truex Jr., who is retiring from full-time racing at the conclusion of the 2024 season. However, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver’s move to Joe Gibbs Racing isn’t easing much pressure.

Briscoe discussed replacing Truex in the No. 19 car and was very honest about his future in NASCAR. He believes that his competitive career will be over if he can’t win with a top-tier NASCAR Cup Series team.

“I mean, I think there’s pressure to perform coming over here [Joe Gibbs Racing] in the first place, doesn’t matter who’s driving it, whether it’s [Martin Truex Jr.] or whoever,” Briscoe said. “This car is capable of winning. So, that’s the one thing with this opportunity as well is if I don’t win, my career’s over, so I have to go win and prove my worth.”

“Yeah, I don’t think it changes with who you’re replacing. I think it’s kind of ironic. I was a diehard Tony Stewart fan, and I’m doing the reverse Tony Stewart, going from [Stewart-Haas Racing] to Gibbs versus Gibbs to SHR. Yeah, I don’t think it matters who you’re replacing. But it is nice to know the car is fully capable, right?”

Briscoe is a very talented driver, so he shouldn’t need to worry about not winning races with Joe Gibbs Racing. The 29-year-old driver is humble and understands this is a massive opportunity for his career. Briscoe is the perfect replacement for Truex in the No. 19 car, and the pressure is now on to start winning more races in 2025.

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Briscoe joins Joe Gibbs Racing in multiyear deal

Chase Briscoe will have a new home with Joe Gibbs Racing next season as he inherits the No. 19 Toyota Camry from Martin Truex Jr. Truex, 43, announced he will retire from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition at the end of this season after …

Chase Briscoe will have a new home with Joe Gibbs Racing next season as he inherits the No. 19 Toyota Camry from Martin Truex Jr.

Truex, 43, announced he will retire from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition at the end of this season after winning 15 races for Joe Gibbs over the last six seasons.

“I’m excited for this opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing and Bass Pro Shops,” Briscoe said. “From a competition standpoint, JGR is the place to be if you want to go win races week in and week out and to race for the championship every year. I am blessed that Johnny Morris and Bass Pro are on board to help us carry on the legacy of the 19 car.

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“For me personally, being an avid outdoorsman, there’s a lot of pride in now being a part of the Bass Pro brand and I’m extremely grateful for this partnership. Getting to meet Johnny, I feel like I share a lot of the same values as him and Coach, and I’m ready to get to work and prove that they have made a great choice putting me in this car.”

James Small, who took the reins of the team in 2020 after Cole Pearn’s departure, will continue as the team’s crew chief, while Bass Pro Shops will continue as a team sponsor.

“We have been honored to stand beside Martin Truex Jr. for the last 21 years and together with our friends at Joe Gibbs Racing over the last six years,” said Johnny Morris, said founder of Bass Pro Shops. “We are proud to represent sportsmen and women across North America as we extend this relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota and Chase Briscoe.”

Briscoe lands on his feet a month after Stewart-Haas Racing, who he currently drives for, announced it will shut down at season’s end. The 2025 season will be Briscoe’s fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series, and Gibbs will be the second team he’s driven for at the sport’s top level. He has one win and one playoff appearance in 126 career starts.

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Briscoe, who turns 30 years old before the 2025 NASCAR season, has signed a multiyear deal with Joe Gibbs Racing.

“We are extremely excited about the future of our 19 team with Chase behind the wheel and the partnership with Johnny, J.P. and everyone at Bass Pro Shops,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “I talk about it often, but one of the great things about our sport is the relationships you have the opportunity to build around your teams and certainly we are just so thankful to have that with everyone at Bass Pro Shops.

“We obviously do a lot of research before selecting our drivers and through the process everything kept pointing us back to Chase. With James’ (Small) leadership, Chase behind the wheel, and the support from Bass Pro, and of course Toyota, we couldn’t be more excited about the future of our 19 team.”

The move to Gibbs will put Briscoe behind the wheel of something other than a Ford for the first time in his NASCAR national series career. The Indiana native made his debut at 22 years old for Brad Keselowski in the Craftsman Truck Series. It was his only full year in the series as Briscoe began competing in the Xfinity Series a year later – on a part-time schedule – before going full-time in 2019.

Briscoe won 10 races through the 2019-20 seasons and finished inside the top five in the championship points in both seasons. The performance made him Tony Stewart’s handpicked replacement beginning in 2021.

Chase Briscoe officially joins Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR Cup Series for 2025

Joe Gibbs Racing officially announced on Tuesday that Chase Briscoe will drive the No. 19 car in the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2025.

[autotag]Joe Gibbs Racing[/autotag] has finally confirmed NASCAR’s worst-kept secret. On Tuesday afternoon, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that [autotag]Chase Briscoe[/autotag] will replace Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 car for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Briscoe drives for Stewart-Haas Racing but needed to find a new ride as the organization shuts down after Phoenix Raceway in November.

Christopher Bell seemed to confirm the reports of Briscoe headed to Joe Gibbs Racing when he accidentally said “Chase” when talking about replacing Truex. In 2024, Briscoe has two top-5 and six top-10 finishes in 18 races. With eight races left in the NASCAR regular season, the driver of the No. 14 car sits 25 points behind the playoff cut-line.

This is a massive career move for Briscoe, who moves to one of NASCAR’s best Cup Series organizations. Joe Gibbs Racing has been very successful with the NextGen car and displays great speed weekly. Briscoe will have a prime opportunity to show his talent in the No. 19 car starting in 2025, and it’s an excellent decision for everyone involved.

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SHR takes advantage of rain to score top-three finishes at Loudon

A long rain delay was just what Stewart-Haas Racing needed to give its playoff hopes a boost in New Hampshire. While he was a story off-track due to prospective future teammate Christopher Bell’s silly season spoiler, Chase Briscoe spent most of …

A long rain delay was just what Stewart-Haas Racing needed to give its playoff hopes a boost in New Hampshire.

While he was a story off-track due to prospective future teammate Christopher Bell’s silly season spoiler, Chase Briscoe spent most of Sunday’s race struggling in the midfield. If the race had been called for rain, he’d have been a non-factor with a finish outside of the top 10.

But when the race resumed in the wet, Briscoe’s No. 14 Ford came to life. The Hoosier marched through the field and into the top five. When the leaders left the bottom lane open on the choose before each of the final two restarts, Briscoe was able to roll up to second and restart alongside Bell with a chance to win.

Neither restart worked out, but Briscoe was able to eke out a runner-up finish after a difficult day.

“The rain saved us for sure,” he admitted afterward. “We were terrible in the dry. We knew typically on the road courses, and even the ovals that we’ve ran in the rain, we’ve been pretty good, truthfully. … If you would have told me two hours ago that we would have ran second, I don’t think I would have believed you, but overall great day for us, and definitely needed one to turn the ship around. It’s been a real struggle.”

Briscoe wasn’t the only SHR driver with a shot at the win. Rookie Josh Berry had risen to second before the final two restarts in the No. 4 Ford. With the typical pace disparity between the two lanes, Berry elected to slot in behind Bell on the outside lane for the final restarts.

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He made it clear that a win was on his mind.

“I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t [win],” Berry radioed to his crew.

He didn’t get the restarts he needed to chase down Bell, though. It took the Tennessean too long to clear Briscoe on the first attempt. While he appeared to be closing on Bell, a second caution and overtime served as the knockout punch for his winning hopes.

Berry couldn’t get past Briscoe in overtime and settled for third. The teammates battling allowed Bell to march off to a comfortable win.

“We were debating back and forth on bottom or top [on the final restart],” Berry said. “I really wanted to take the front row, but it was just — it just seemed slick down there, and I just felt like I would be stuck racing probably Chase (Briscoe), who would have been on the outside. Kind of like we ended up…

“Honestly, I think I probably just — I really pushed Christopher out there really hard, and I think that kind of checked my momentum. Then I just got a little loose off of [Turn 2] and got Chase back to my left rear. He kind of drug me back, and we got stuck racing and had to drag race there to the line.”

While neither teammate got to victory lane, they did give their playoff pushes some positive momentum. Briscoe closed to within 25 points of Joey Logano on the playoff cutline, while Berry sits 73 points out with a distant chance if he can hit a solid summer run of form.

Briscoe weighs in on Bell’s ‘pretty funny’ loose lips

Chase Briscoe was as shocked as everyone else when Christopher Bell accidentally blurted out his future teammate’s name Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “I thought that it changed a lot of things, I think, in the silly season,” Briscoe said. …

Chase Briscoe was as shocked as everyone else when Christopher Bell accidentally blurted out his future teammate’s name Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“I thought that it changed a lot of things, I think, in the silly season,” Briscoe said.

“I need to call [Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick] now that the No. 9’s opened up! It changes a lot of things. That’s a domino that nobody really saw coming.”

He was joking, of course.

Bell accidentally let slip that he’d be joined by “Chase” when asked about leadership roles at Joe Gibbs Racing. In doing so he was referring to Briscoe — the favorite to replace retiring Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 Toyota — not Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott. But without an official announcement, Briscoe and others have been having fun with the news.

Elliott’s teammate, Kyle Larson, quickly joked that he was leaving after Bell’s flub. Briscoe was busy racing a sprint car next door at The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and didn’t chime in, but when he arrived for qualifying on Saturday the Hoosier was quickly asked for his take on Bell’s silly season spoiler.

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“I just kind of laughed at it; I thought it was pretty good,” Briscoe said. “Typical Christopher. It was pretty funny.

“I mean, I [feel] like everybody kind of knows what’s going on, right? I don’t know. I think the official announcement — whenever that is — hopefully we can have something official soon, but I wasn’t really mad at it. It was kind of funny, I thought.”

Landing at Joe Gibbs Racing is a big break for Briscoe, who could have been left on the outside looking in with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) closing shop at season’s end. Three of the team’s four charters are expected to be sold, with the fourth being kept by current co-owner Gene Haas for a slimmed down operation called Haas Factory Team.

With veteran Kevin Harvick now retired, Briscoe is arguably SHR’s best driver. The 29-year-old currently leads the company at 17th in the championship standings, four spots ahead of rookie Josh Berry and well clear of Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece. He’s also the only driver on the team with a Cup win, having prevailed at Phoenix Raceway in 2022 to clinch a playoff berth he parlayed to a gritty Round of 8 run.

Should he take over the No. 19 Toyota as planned, Briscoe will arrive at a team with greater expectations. Truex has earned 15 wins and made two Championship 4 appearances in the past five years. He won the regular season title just last year.

Chase Briscoe reacts to Christopher Bell leaking the Joe Gibbs Racing news

Chase Briscoe reacts to his close friend Christopher Bell leaking the news about Joe Gibbs Racing. What did Briscoe say about Bell?

[autotag]Christopher Bell[/autotag] may have accidentally revealed Joe Gibbs Racing’s next driver. On Friday afternoon, Bell slipped up and mentioned Chase Briscoe when discussing the leadership aspect at [autotag]Joe Gibbs Racing[/autotag] following Martin Truex Jr.’s retirement. The driver of the No. 20 car couldn’t believe he made that mistake, as his face turned red in 30 seconds.

Following Bell’s press conference, Frontstretch spoke to Briscoe and asked for his reaction to the slip-up. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver was unsure what had happened as he had no signal but talked through it with Frontstretch.

“To be honest with you, I still haven’t seen it because I have no signal here. [Christopher Bell] texted me before we went for a hot lap and said, ‘Chase, I’m sorry, I messed up really bad.’ But I haven’t gotten to see any of it yet, I can’t get nothing to load. I can’t get a text to send or nothing, so I’m sure when I get back after tonight, I’ll get blown up pretty bad, but yeah, typical Christopher (laughs).”

Briscoe and Bell are close friends, and it seems that the latter is excited about his new potential teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing. Briscoe didn’t confirm or deny Bell’s slip-up during his press conference, but he has been linked as the top candidate to replace Truex in 2025. Everything points to the direction of Briscoe joining Joe Gibbs Racing, which would be amazing for his career.

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Christopher Bell accidentally reveals Chase Briscoe joining Joe Gibbs Racing

Christopher Bell accidentally reveals that Chase Briscoe will join Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025. Find out what Bell accidentally said!

[autotag]Chase Briscoe[/autotag] has been linked to [autotag]Joe Gibbs Racing[/autotag] ever since Martin Truex Jr. announced he would retire from the NASCAR Cup Series, but an announcement hasn’t come yet. Well, that was until [autotag]Christopher Bell[/autotag] arrived at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for his press conference on Friday afternoon. The cat has accidentally been let out of the bag.

The driver of the No. 20 car was asked if his leadership role with Joe Gibbs Racing will increase as Truex steps away as a full-time driver. Bell talked about his role and accidentally revealed the new driver of the No. 19 car.

“I don’t think that there really is a leadership role in that aspect,” Bell said. “Whenever [Chase Briscoe] comes into the ca-…Whenever, som-, whenever. I don’t even know what to say. Whenever we have a new driver into the No. 19 car. Whenever we have a new driver into the No. 19 car, whoever that is, their experience level will dictate how much input they have in the team.”

Oh, Bell! The Joe Gibbs Racing driver laughed, and his face turned red after accidentally saying “Chase” in the press conference. Nothing is official from Joe Gibbs Racing, but it appears Bell revealed that one of his closest friends will join him as a teammate. Briscoe joining Joe Gibbs Racing would be massive for his career.

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Chase Briscoe ‘close’ to signing deal for 2025, expected to be Joe Gibbs Racing

Chase Briscoe is “close” to signing a deal for 2025, which is expected to be with Joe Gibbs Racing. Find out what Briscoe said about a deal!

[autotag]Chase Briscoe[/autotag]’s world was turned upside down when Stewart-Haas Racing announced it would shut down after 2024; however, it may have been the start of a new, incredible era. Briscoe is regarded as the “top candidate” to join Joe Gibbs Racing following Martin Truex Jr.’s announcement that he will retire after the 2024 NASCAR season.

Briscoe talked to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass and gave a big update on his plans for the 2025 season. Amid rumors that he will join Joe Gibbs Racing, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver is getting closer to a deal.

“I feel like I’m pretty close [to a deal for 2025],” Briscoe said. “I feel pretty good about it. There’s a lot of different [factors in the decision]. Performance is one thing that definitely weighing the options is something that is important, the future and what the future looks like. And then obviously, the other part is, what’s going to be the best to provide for my family. With twins on the way, I’m going to have three kids. That is a real thought now, just what’s going to set us up for the future in the best way.”

Briscoe wouldn’t have been allowed to join Joe Gibbs Racing if Stewart-Haas Racing didn’t plan to shut down, so this situation is a prime example of how everything happens for a reason in NASCAR. The 29-year-old driver seems likely to go from Stewart-Haas Racing to one of the best NASCAR organizations in the Cup Series.

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