Chase Briscoe’s record this season stands as a testament to how a team can completely transform a driver’s performance. He secured a victory at Pocono, with eight top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in the first 21 starts of his maiden season with Joe Gibbs Racing. This surpasses his total tally from any of the 36-race seasons he has completed.
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Briscoe’s hallmark this season has been his consistency. And he seems to be peaking heading into the playoffs. He has finished second in back-to-back races at Sonoma and Dover. And, over the last 10 events, he has scored five top-five finishes and six top-10s.
That has made many in the fraternity believe Briscoe has finally arrived. Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes the 30-year-old’s grit this season makes him the ultimate dark horse heading into the NASCAR Playoffs.
“Sometime around the (Coca-Cola) 600, he’s [Briscoe] been qualifying really good. And he seems to have figured out how to take advantage of the tools that this #19 car has,” said Junior on The Dale Jr. Download.
Dale Jr. also acknowledged that JGR’s newest addition has a knack for peaking at the right time. “And the other thing that I like about Briscoe is he always seems to come on late, and especially in the playoffs, he overachieves,” he said.
“And so I’m not sure that anyone else is really ready to make this claim, but I’m feeling like Briscoe might be pretty dangerous,” added Junior.
While NASCAR insiders and fans often predict who might reach the Championship 4, Dale Jr. noted that such predictions rarely hold. Yet, he feels Briscoe could shake up the postseason, creating problems for the usual contenders.
Last year, Briscoe secured a playoff berth with a victory at Darlington in the last race of the regular season. But he was eliminated in the Round of 16. The then Stewart-Haas Racing driver ended 2024 with just three top-five finishes and nine top-10s, a mark he has already eclipsed this season with 15 races still to run.
Briscoe credits much of his progress to Joe Gibbs Racing. Initially overwhelmed by the extensive data and preparation materials provided before each race, he has since embraced the process.
Speaking recently on Rubbin’ Is Racing, Briscoe detailed his preparation, which now includes long hours on simulators, reviewing archival race footage, and digging into comprehensive data analysis.
