Chase Briscoe hasn’t shied away from acknowledging the mistakes that have put the No. 19 team in a difficult position during The Chase. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver hasn’t hidden from the mistakes that have cost him valuable points, particularly during races when the team had the speed to contend for a much better finish. However, having a competitive car hasn’t been enough to keep his championship hopes on track. A series of costly moments has put Briscoe in a position where he needs more than just a strong run to get back into the fight.
Briscoe opened the postseason with a sixth-place finish at Darlington Raceway, led 30 laps, and gave the team reason to believe it could remain a factor throughout the championship run. That momentum didn’t last. At World Wide Technology Raceway, he got into an incident with Chase Elliott, took damage that sent him into the wall, and finished 32nd.
Bristol Motor Speedway brought another frustrating result. Briscoe had worked his way into the top five and looked set for a strong afternoon before contact with the wall with six laps remaining damaged a toe link. The problem sent him backward through the field, and he ultimately finished 27th. More than an unfortunate turn of events was at play.
Briscoe admitted his decision-making contributed to the outcome, acknowledging he made a mistake while trying to gain position late in the race. Those are the kinds of moments that become increasingly expensive when championship points are on the line. Kansas Speedway offered a chance to get the season moving in the right direction.
Briscoe and the No. 19 team showed enough speed to compete, but their finishes didn’t reflect the performance they believed was possible. The focus needed to shift toward executing all the way through the checkered flag rather than finding more speed. Briscoe made a late push at Kansas, getting himself into contention and challenging Kyle Larson. However, repeated contact with the outside wall began to take its toll.
With only a handful of laps remaining, he continued pushing, but the charge ultimately cost him positions. After running second, Briscoe finished fourth. He later acknowledged that desperation had become part of his approach. With his championship position slipping, he felt the need to find a way to win rather than settle for another finish that wouldn’t do enough for his title hopes.
The Kansas result left Briscoe 123 points behind Larson with six races remaining in The Chase. He understood that closing that gap would require victories and some help from the competition ahead of him. Even so, the No. 19 team’s season had already demonstrated what it could accomplish, including Briscoe’s victory at Chicagoland Speedway.
Now, the challenge is putting that performance together without the mistakes that have interrupted his postseason. Briscoe has taken responsibility for his part in the setbacks, but the remaining opportunities won’t offer much room for another costly afternoon. The No. 19 team has shown it can run with the competition. Now it needs the execution to finish the job.
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