Contrast Chase Briscoe with William Byron, who knew he would be competing in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs when he won the Daytona 500 in February.
Briscoe, on the other hand, wasn’t Playoff-bound until he pulled off an upset in last Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500. The victory at Darlington Raceway was Briscoe’s first since he won at Phoenix in March 2022.
Now Briscoe and his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team must shift into Playoff mode, after securing their spot at roughly 10 p.m. on Sunday night. Briscoe is the only SHR driver to qualify for the Playoffs in the organization’s last year of operation.
“We’re going every week to win races, so our car preparation doesn’t necessarily change,” Briscoe said. “Our attention to detail doesn’t necessarily change. But I think the mentality changes a little bit.
“And even our race team—we’re in a little bit different situation. Penske’s got to worry about four race cars. Hendrick, Gibbs—they all have to worry about four cars. I’m in a really good spot. We have a four-car team, but really, all the focus is on me for the rest of the year.
“For us, I do think that makes it a little bit easier to just put all the eggs in one basket, and hopefully, that’ll pay off for us.”
Despite his Johnny-come-lately status, Briscoe doesn’t think a championship is out of the question before he transitions to Joe Gibb Racing next year.
“It’d be pretty dang cool—I know that,” Briscoe said. “I can’t think of a better way to end the story that Stewart-Haas Racing has written.”
- Connor Zilisch makes stunning NASCAR Xfinity Debut with Overtime Victory at Watkins Glen - September 14, 2024
- After a decade Juan Pablo Montoya returns to NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen ready to race hard from 34th - September 14, 2024
- Ross Chastain grabs first Pole of 2024 at Watkins Glen - September 14, 2024