The second Round of 8 race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs saw Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe prove his mettle with the No. 19 team. With the victory at Talladega on Sunday, the Mitchell, Indiana-native sealed his seat for the Final 4 round of the championship.
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Briscoe has managed to win when it mattered in his first year with JGR after parting ways with a now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing last season. The 30-year-old had been looked at by many as an underdog in the playoffs. Just like his crew chief, James Small, the fanbase has tended to underestimate the No. 19 driver and his team’s capabilities.
That doubt stems from the poor season the team endured in 2024, where Martin Truex Jr.’s struggles were evident. Elaborating on this, and on how Briscoe set a goal to challenge for the championship with the No. 19 JGR crew and is now set to achieve it, Small wanted to remind the fanbase of his team and driver’s potential.
“I know I’m not immune to the fact that people like to question, when we have years like last year, when we’re close to winning many races, but we didn’t win any,” said Small, who is also on a mission to prove that he is a championship-caliber talent atop the pit box.
“People have had very short memories of the success we’ve had before. But I never lost belief in myself or my team, and I always had the support of everybody back at JGR,” added Small.
Martin Truex Jr. and Small were more often than not heard quarreling on the team radio when the going got tough last year. This gave the public the impression that the No. 19 team was a frustrated unit. Whether that was the case is anyone’s guess.
Now, the team has a genuine shot at the championship with Briscoe. It remains to be seen how well the driver and team rise to the occasion.
Briscoe “is a weird dude,” says Small
Small was asked how Briscoe, who is making his first Final 4 appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series, reacted to the situation. His answer offered a glimpse into the No. 19 driver’s personality and what makes him so effective behind the wheel.
“Nothing fazes him; his personality, he’s cool under pressure, he’s a weird dude. I’ve never met anybody like him. But to be a racecar driver, that’s a great quality to have,” said Small.
“I just expect him to treat it [the championship finale] as another race; there’s not really any added pressure, we just gotta go out there and try and win the race,” he added, shedding light on what the team’s approach looks like heading into Phoenix.
Denny Hamlin is confirmed as one driver Briscoe will be going against in two weeks to decide who wins the ultimate prize in the sport this year. Next week’s race at Martinsville will give us the remaining two challengers for the finale.
