Chase Briscoe Calls Battling SVG Like Trying to Guard Michael Jordan in His Prime

July 13, 2025 Greg Engle Main Page, Top Stories 0


SONOMA, CA - JULY 13: Chase Briscoe (#19 Joe Gibbs Racing Bass Pro Shops Toyota) during the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 on July 13, 2025, at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, CA. (Photo by Will Lester/Sonoma Raceway/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

For a guy who says Sonoma is his worst track, Chase Briscoe sure didn’t drive like it.

He qualified second. He finished second. And on paper, that sounds routine—until you consider who he was chasing.

Shane van Gisbergen wasn’t just fast on Sunday—he was a road-course god in fireproof overalls. And Briscoe? He was the one mortal man who managed to keep him honest.

“I never played basketball against Michael Jordan in his prime,” Briscoe said after the race, “but I feel like that’s probably what it was like. That guy is unbelievable on road courses.”

That, folks, is how you describe being 1.1 seconds away from perfection. You invoke MJ. Because that’s what SVG has become on these circuits—a ruthless, fundamentally unfair benchmark for everyone else.

Still, Briscoe nearly pulled off the upset. On the restarts—those chaotic, fender-banging moments where SVG is briefly human—Briscoe saw daylight. Just not enough.

Shane van Gisbergen Obliterates Sonoma, Leaves the Rest Wondering Why They Even Bothered

“I thought there was one restart I was maybe going to get clear of him,” he said. “But truthfully even if I cleared him, he was probably going to pass me back by the end of the lap.”

And the thing is, he’s probably right. Every time Briscoe clawed into van Gisbergen’s lead, the Kiwi just… left again.

“I feel like my car is extremely good,” Briscoe said. “And I feel like every time I would run down Shane, he would just pick up the pace himself and start driving back away. It was frustrating at times.”

Frustrating? Sure. But for Briscoe—who slid into the No. 19 Toyota as a short-notice stand-in for Martin Truex Jr.—it was also a breakthrough. Sonoma has chewed him up in the past. This time, he bit back.

“I was honestly happy with the effort,” he said. “This is by far my worst racetrack. Kind of surprised myself, truthfully.”

It wasn’t just raw speed, either. Briscoe managed his tires, stayed disciplined, and kept the 19 car right on SVG’s tailpipe while others faded. The 19 team gave him a rocket, and he used every ounce of what it had.

“I just never had anything for Shane,” Briscoe admitted. “I felt like he still had more left in the tank as well. But yeah, it was fun. We were slipping and sliding around all over the place. It’s fun when you can do that in these types of race cars.”

Things Get Spicy on Pit Road at Sonoma

For a guy who claimed he didn’t change much behind the wheel, Briscoe looked like he’d found a whole new gear. He credits the 19 team for showing him what makes Sonoma tick—specifically, what made Truex fast here.

“I just tried to replicate that,” he said. “But for the most part, honestly, it’s just been doing my typical deal. The car has so much more pace and balance. So it makes it really enjoyable.”

And that’s the key. In a sport where most guys are grinding just to stay mid-pack, Briscoe is suddenly in top-tier equipment—and loving every second of it.

“I am certainly having the time of my life right now,” he said. “It’s fun running week in and week out in the Cup Series and feeling like you have a shot to go win.”

He didn’t win this one. But he gave SVG something he rarely sees on a Sunday: pressure. And that’s worth a highlight reel of its own.

Because chasing SVG at Sonoma right now? It’s like trying to guard Jordan at Madison Square Garden. You can play the best game of your life—and still get beat by a guy doing something nobody’s done before.

Greg Engle
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