James Small, the crew chief of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team, has never been one to focus on the negativity that is spewed at him. But he is surely aware of it. It is why he set out into the 2025 Cup Series with a massive point to prove. Armed with newcomer Chase Briscoe, Small & Co. finished the season third in the driver standings and took the right step forward towards a bright future.
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They reached Victory Lane three times and also made the championship finale in Phoenix. The crew chief believes that these results have spoken a lot about what he is capable of. Briscoe earned the most pole starts, the second most top-10 finishes, and was tied for the most top-5 finishes. Small couldn’t be prouder of the consistency they displayed as a team.
He said in a recent interview that a lot of processes changed within their group over the past 12 months and that it was great to see all the hard work they put in pay dividends on the track. But it ought to be noted that they did have things figured out from the start. Following the retirement of Martin Truex Jr., everyone in the No. 19 team had to adapt to the working style of Briscoe and vice versa.
This newness was a key challenge that needed to be overcome. For a good period at the start of the season, the shakiness in the team could be very apparent. But that changed for good soon after, particularly after the first race at the Kansas Speedway. Small noted that things just clicked for them all from there on, and there was no looking back.
It was a career year for Briscoe as well, and it must have provided him a big boost in confidence and morale following the bumpy ride he underwent with his previous team, Stewart-Haas Racing. So, now that the base is solidified in the best manner possible, what comes next for the team? Small believes that they are past the learning curve and are in a great position to begin to win races immediately.
He said, “We have a really, really great team. Everybody’s willing to do whatever it takes. It’s a different atmosphere. The morale is naturally a lot higher right now. We can build toward the coming years. So, there’s not really any question of what’s going to happen. It’s how successful can we be?” That’s a remarkable mindset to have.
There was a legitimate possibility this year for Briscoe to have ended up as the champion. Had he, none could have questioned his “deservedness” for the title. It is only a fair expectation for him to be even more dominant in the 2026 season, guided by Small.
