Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) signing Chase Briscoe is not a run-of-the-mill move to temporarily fill the gap that Martin Truex Jr. would leave behind in 2025. He is part of a grander scheme of things with Coach Gibbs planning to create a roster that can dominate the upcoming decade in stock car racing. This naturally creates pressure on the 29-year-old and he is more than up for the challenge.
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Expressing awareness of the expectation to start winning races right off the bat, he said to the press, “I have to win. Like there’s no excuse not to win. You have to make the playoffs. If you don’t make the playoffs, then there’s no reason I should be driving this race car.” The two qualities that attracted Gibbs to Briscoe were his character and his ability to win.
The driver has won one Cup Series race, 11 Xfinity Series races, and two Truck Series races. One of the biggest reasons he hasn’t been able to garner more in the premier tier is the inconsistency of the car that he currently drives at Stewart-Haas Racing. He believes that with JGR’s Toyota Camry at his disposal, he can do a much better job than he has in recent years.
And apparently, those at JGR believe the same. “I definitely think that you have to win races,” he continued. “You have to be running up front consistently, and I think they feel like I’m capable of doing that. But I have to show that, so hopefully that’s what I can do.” Briscoe is currently 16th in the regular season standings. He is 25 points beneath the playoff cutoff line.
Crew Chief James Small reiterates the expectation from Chase Briscoe
Though James Small notes a lot of similarities between the racing preferences of his current driver Truex Jr. and Briscoe, he does admit that there is work to be done. “Chase has to prove himself,” he said to Bob Pockrass. “He has been in a car that has not been that great. Now he is stepping into one of the most coveted rides in NASCAR. I really believe after sitting down and talking to him that he is ready to do what it takes to win.”
In yet another appearance on SiriusXM, he said that the team was on the lookout for a driver with strong experience in the premier tier. Revealing that Briscoe has been chosen since he fits that bill, he expressed hope that the driver will just jump into the #19 Toyota Camry XSE and get a handle on things from the get-go.
