When Chase Briscoe was announced as the replacement for Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, there were some whispers about how he might not be good enough to fill the big shoes. But he has shattered all those doubts with his extraordinary performances this season.
Advertisement
On Sunday at Darlington Raceway, Briscoe successfully defended his Southern 500 victory. Being a two-time winner of the prestigious crown jewel event is no ordinary achievement. Awareness of the same has given him confidence to believe that he could become a Championship 4 driver.
He was asked, in his post-race interview, if he would be the championship favorite if the unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Roval were removed from consideration.
Briscoe responded by breaking down his performances in the upcoming playoff tracks. He said, “Outside of Talladega, I would say New Hampshire. I feel like that’s a track I kind of struggle at. But the Roval has been great to me in the past.
“Cup-wise, it’s not been. I feel like the playoffs really round out well for me statistically. Even at JGR, it’s all really great racetracks.
“So yeah, I mean, the Round of 8 is the hard one just because you do have Talladega in there. Yeah, I definitely think if we can get there, I feel confident going to Phoenix, too.”
Through his win, Briscoe has secured himself a spot in the Round of 12. That means he can take the upcoming races at Bristol and the World Wide Technology Raceway lighter than he otherwise would. He could very well go all-out in the quest to boost his playoff tally that could serve him well in later rounds.
James Small remains confident of Briscoe
Briscoe’s crew chief, James Small, has been reiterating throughout the season that the driver still has a lot of space to improve. But after the latest result in Darlington, he has gained the confidence that they are now a championship-caliber team.
He said of the journey they’ve undergone since the beginning of the year, “It was a difficult, new situation for everybody. We had a little bit of learning to do, and some new people on the team as well.
“We had some speed. Just took a little bit to gel and get everybody on the same page, understanding what we’re trying to achieve every week.”
Small also believes that such positive results will give Briscoe a lot of confidence that he belongs in the top level of the game. Hopefully, they will still be racing for the title when they get to Phoenix.
