Chase Briscoe’s new NASCAR Cup address this year has paid significant dividends already. After four years with the now-defunct Stewart Haas Racing, Briscoe moved to Joe Gibbs Racing this season, replacing the now-retired Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 Toyota.
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The move has been not only a welcome change for the Mitchell, Indiana native, he’s also enjoying his best season ever in Cup. And there’s still 10 races left for him to add to those career-high stats.
Entering this weekend’s Cup Series playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, Briscoe has one win (Pocono), along with career single-season highs in top-fives (10) and top-10s (12), along with pole positions (6, including the season-opening Daytona 500).
“I was telling my wife, this is really the first time I have legitimately thought I could win a Cup championship,” Briscoe said during the NASCAR Playoffs Media Day.
“In the past I could make the playoffs, and that was exciting, but down deep you kind of know the odds of you winning are pretty slim.”
Indeed, in his first four full-time seasons in the Cup Series, Briscoe made the playoffs twice, finishing a career-best ninth in 2022 and 14th in 2024.
But with strong teammates Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell joining Briscoe in the playoffs, he’s never been more optimistic about his chances in the playoffs.
In fact, although he doesn’t want to jinx his chances, Briscoe feels like he has his first legitimate chance at reaching the Championship 4 final round, and potentially stealing the championship away from his rivals.
“Now, not to say I’m the favorite by any means, but I feel like I have a legitimate chance to go do it,” Briscoe said. “It definitely feels different this time around just knowing you have a shot. I would say this playoffs just feels different because of that.”
Admittedly, Briscoe has to get past the other 15 playoff contenders. Not only does he have to worry about all four drivers at Hendrick Motorsports and all three Team Penske drivers, but he also has to both work with and try to beat his two JGR teammates, Hamlin and Bell.
There’s also 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen and Ross Chastain, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon and Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry.
While all of the 15 other playoff contenders are formidable opponents in their own right, Briscoe’s biggest obstacle could be Hamlin, who has enjoyed a renaissance-like resurgence this season with JGR, including four wins.
