Briscoe On Growth With JGR: ‘We Should Only Get Better’

Chase Briscoe (Nigel Kinrade/NKP for Toyota Racing photo)

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Although he finally won his first race with Joe Gibbs Racing two weeks ago at Pocono Raceway, Chase Briscoe is still looking for more as the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs approach.

Briscoe sits 10th overall in points and is on pace for a career season in average finish in his fifth Cup Series season and first as a part of Team Toyota.

“There is definitely a sigh of relief, it’s just a weight off your shoulders,” said Briscoe, referring to his Pocono win. “But honestly, I’m expected to win multiple races, not just win one and be done for the season. I think the pressure just continues to ratchet up, but it is definitely nice to just get a win and just try to know that I can do it.

“It is a weird sense of feelings, because there is a sense of relief that the first win is out of the way … but there is also a sense of more pressure because now, they know you can win. It’s just a unique situation for myself,” Briscoe added.

The Mitchell, Ind., native has strung together four poles, six top fives and eight top 10s. These are numbers all on pace to set new career highs for Briscoe in his first season at JGR.

However, despite a career year in the making, the 30-year-old is still looking to improve the communication across his entire team, from atop the pit box with crew chief James Small to everyone involved on the No. 19 team.

Briscoe feels that is the next step to building a deep and fruitful playoff run as a potential dark horse title contender.

“It has definitely been a learning curve to start the season.  I feel like really the last month, four or five weeks, we’ve really started growing a lot and we’ve gotten to a really good point. I think there are things that we can still do better,” said Briscoe. “I feel like our communication and trust in each other has grown a lot these last four weeks, so hopefully that will just continue to get better.”

Since the beginning of May, Briscoe has his Pocono win, a seventh place result in Mexico City, third in the Coca-Cola 600 and three poles since the Memorial Day crown jewel.

“There is still a long way to go, but I do feel really good about where we are at right now. I felt good about where we were at the beginning of the season. but it was so new, and we were still learning each other, that we are finally to that point of where we have an understanding and a baseline.

“We should continue to get better and better at that,” he added.

He’ll look to carry that this weekend into the Chicago (Ill.) street race. Briscoe’s best finish in two races on the streets of Chicago is 20th, but with improved equipment, fresh momentum and improved communication at Joe Gibbs Racing, he’ll look to turn his fortune in the Cup Series’ third year running in the ‘Windy City’ on Fourth of July weekend.

“We should only get better as time goes on,” said Briscoe. “I do believe that.”

Coverage of the Grant Park 165 in Chicago begins Sunday, July 6 at 2 p.m. ET on TNT Sports, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.