When Martin Truex Jr. announced his retirement from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition, Stewart-Haas Racing drivers found themselves at a crossroads following the news that the team would shut down after the 2024 season. Joe Gibbs Racing, looking to fill their No. 19 seat, turned to Chase Briscoe to take the wheel.
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For Briscoe, what seemed like a smooth handoff on paper has turned out to be more complicated in practice. He seemingly expected a relatively seamless shift from one Next Gen car to another, but quickly discovered that the waters were deeper than they appeared.
During a recent appearance on Today, he was asked to reflect on his move from SHR to JGR. “I would say the transition has been truthfully harder than I thought it would be,” Briscoe admitted.
He went on to explain that the assumption of mechanical similarity between the cars didn’t hold up. “I just thought the cars would drive more similar, truthfully, just with the Next Gen car and how all the cars are the exact same, but just from a setup standpoint,” he said.
However, he realized, “Even the engines and the car’s bodies have a downforce. They definitely drive way different than I anticipated. So that’s been definitely, I would say, a little bit more of a learning curve than I expected.”
Briscoe also acknowledged that settling into the new system has taken longer than he initially thought. Still, he noted that the process has helped him better understand why JGR continues to be a championship-caliber organization.
From the inside out, the team’s methodical approach has made a strong impression. According to him, getting to know the team’s processes has “definitely been eye-opening.”
Chase Briscoe assesses his performance compared to his JGR teammates
Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin have won four [including the All-Star Race] and two races this season, respectively, and currently sit third and seventh in the Cup Series standings. Meanwhile, Briscoe holds P12 after 12 starts. Ty Gibbs, now in his third full-time season with Joe Gibbs Racing, continues to search for his first Cup Series victory and sits P26 in the standings.
Briscoe, still adjusting to life behind the wheel of the #19 Toyota after his tenure in the #14 Ford at Stewart-Haas Racing, is navigating a learning curve. Reflecting on his ambitions, Briscoe said, “I want to win, especially when your teammates have been winning. It’s like, well, if they’re winning, we can win too.
“It’s just frustrating when your teammates are winning, but it is still very, very new, and there are a lot of things that are different that I’m trying to get acclimated to.”
Despite the challenges, Briscoe has shown flashes of speed. He opened the season with a fourth-place finish in the Daytona 500 and followed it up with top-five runs at Homestead, Bristol, and Kansas. While he and the #19 team continue fine-tuning during practice and race conditions, Briscoe remains confident that once the pieces fall into place, the wins will follow.
