Chase Briscoe has a lot to look forward to—his wife is pregnant with twins, and he recently signed a contract with the championship Joe Gibbs Racing organization to continue competing in the NASCAR Cup Series after his current team, Stewart-Haas Racing, closes shop at the end of the season.
Before all those other important events commence, however, the proud Hoosier most wants to earn a win at his home track, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in his racing idol Tony Stewart’s iconic No. 14 Ford.
Briscoe won a NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the road course configuration in 2020. He competed in a pair of Xfinity Series races on the 2.5-mile oval in 2018 and 2019, scoring top-10 finishes both times. All three of his NASCAR Cup Series starts in the No. 14 have been on the road course, however.
“It certainly means a little bit more when it’s on the oval,” Briscoe allowed. “When you think about the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the history is on the oval, it’s not on the road course.
“But still, winning here in general is very, very special. So, for me, if I was able to win on the oval, it would mean a little bit more, but it’s going to mean more than any other race track I could win at regardless.”
Briscoe conceded it will be emotional for him driving for fellow Indiana-native Stewart one last time at The Speedway.
“Full transparency, I cry every year just on the ride-around deal,” Briscoe said. “With it being on the oval and doing it in the 14, all that, it’s going to definitely be emotional for me. It’s something that I honestly hadn’t even thought about until a couple weeks ago.
“For seven- or 10-year-old Chase, if you would have told him that he was going to get around one Brickyard 400 in the 14 car for Tony Stewart, I don’t think I would have ever believed you.”
Briscoe starts 20th Sunday.
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