Chase Briscoe in “Must-Win Territory” Ahead of Emotional Brickyard Return

Chase Briscoe would love to qualify for the playoffs in his final season with Stewart-Haas Racing, but under the current circumstances, it is a tough ask. The #14 driver is 75 points behind the cutline and it’s not impossible to find his way into the cutoff, but the margin is thin.

The best option for the SHR driver will be winning a race before the end of the regular season. With the Cup Series heading to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Briscoe has just that in mind. It will be an emotional weekend for the #14 team as well since it’s the last time the car will race on the famed Oval.

Usually, being in a position like Briscoe would dishearten a driver but the 29-year-old is looking forward to the upcoming races.  Considering his situation, he could also be as aggressive as possible to get the job done. At the end of the day, he would like to visit Victory Lane at least once, before his move to Joe Gibbs Racing next year.

“Where we’re at right now, we can be really aggressive with strategy,” he told Speedway Digest. “We definitely feel like we’re in a must-win territory with how we kind of ran and the stage points and things like that. It’s probably going to be hard to point our way in.”

Apart from the goal of qualifying for the playoffs, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race holds significance for SHR. The #14 car gave Tony Stewart his third and final Cup Series championship title and Sunday will be the last time it runs in a race around the Brickyard Oval.

Why will the Indianapolis race be emotional for Briscoe?

After Stewart, Briscoe will be the last driver to ever race in that car. Stewart-Haas Racing will cease operations at the end of this season and the #14 will be decommissioned from NASCAR.

Furthermore, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has always been a special track for Stewart. Also current driver of the #14 was a big fan of the three-time champion growing up. Hence, doing well in Sunday’s race will mean the world to him.

“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,” he had said in an earlier media interaction.

The #14 Ford Mustang is also the car that gave Briscoe his first-ever race win at Phoenix back in 2022. Since then, wins have been hard to come by for the team. Sunday will be no different but the 29-year-old will do whatever it takes to challenge for the win.