Chase Briscoe’s impressive 2025 NASCAR Cup Series campaign has been marked by exceptional qualifying performance and increasing race-day consistency, driving his playoff surge this season. Already securing six pole positions and consistently starting at the front, Briscoe’s strong partnership with crew chief James Small and the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 19 team has started to translate qualifying speed into impactful results.
Briscoe has qualified in the front row in seven of the last eleven races, including a remarkable streak of three consecutive poles. This raw speed has been showcased especially at events like the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he captured the pole with a lap of 183.165 mph, narrowly edging out competitor Bubba Wallace. More than just speed, Briscoe demonstrated tactical savvy at Pocono Raceway by converting one of his pole days into a race victory using a clever fuel strategy and disciplined driving under pressure.
Kevin Harvick’s Insights on Briscoe’s Growing Consistency
Veteran driver Kevin Harvick discussed Briscoe’s progress on his Happy Hour podcast, emphasizing that the No. 19 team has evolved from merely qualifying well to consistently delivering solid finishes. Harvick noted that earlier in the season, strong qualifying performances often resulted in mid-pack finishes, but recently, those poles have been turning into top-five results.
They have raw speed, and they qualify well. Even when they were kind of fumbling around at the beginning of the year,
—Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Driver and Analyst
Despite the positive trajectory, Harvick pointed out remaining challenges that prevent Briscoe from converting more poles into victories, highlighting areas such as race strategy and execution during critical late-race moments. He cited examples from the Brickyard weekend where tactical errors impacted Briscoe’s ability to seize wins.
They have not turned all those poles into wins. But now the poles aren’t turning into 15th, right? Or a bad day. Now they’re turning into top fives. That’s really what you want. You want to have that consistency to be able to put yourself up in the front of the pack and capitalize on those days because it’s really hard to win,
—Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Driver and Analyst
Overcoming Early Season Hurdles to Shape 2025 Playoff Prospects
Briscoe’s momentum was challenged early in the season due to a 100-point penalty following the Daytona 500, which initially threatened his playoff chances. For two races at Atlanta and Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, Briscoe aimed to secure victories to compensate for the points deficit. Fortunately, the penalty was later overturned, relieving pressure and allowing his focus to return to race and qualifying performance.
This shift fueled Briscoe’s ability to maintain his high qualifying standards and translate strong starts into better race results. For example, during the Iowa Corn 350, Briscoe secured his sixth pole of the year with a lap at 136.933 mph, bringing optimism to the JGR team’s continuous improvements. At that event, Briscoe acknowledged the teamwork behind their qualifying gains, crediting Small and the crew for transforming a mediocre practice showing into a fast qualifying session.
We’ve been fast on Sundays, too, just haven’t been able to come out on top. But yeah, just James [Small], the entire group does such a good job on this thing to get it better. Starting in practice today, we were not the best car. And we ended up getting it to third in practice, and then, obviously, really fast here in qualifying,
—Chase Briscoe, NASCAR Driver
Briscoe’s Strategic Shift: Leaving Sprint Cars Behind to Focus on NASCAR
In addition to his NASCAR commitment, Briscoe has closed the chapter on his sprint car racing career to fully dedicate himself to the demands of the Cup Series and his growing family. On the Always Race Day podcast, Briscoe confirmed he is
“retired, at least for the time being… probably for good”
from sprint cars, a decision influenced by family priorities and his transition to a top-tier NASCAR team.
Having raced sprint cars since his youth near Bloomington Speedway in Indiana, this farewell marks a significant personal and professional milestone. The birth of twins Cooper and Collins Ivy, joining their three-year-old son Brooks, has increased family commitments, making the travel and time involved in sprint car races difficult to justify alongside the NASCAR schedule.
It just makes it harder to tell my wife, ‘Hey, I’m going to leave a couple of days early [before a NASCAR race] and go run some sprint car races,’
—Chase Briscoe, NASCAR Driver
Briscoe described his move to Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2025 season as “the opportunity of a lifetime,” highlighting the advanced resources and team environment that solidified his decision to avoid risks that sprint car racing might present. He openly expressed concerns about jeopardizing his NASCAR career, especially with a team poised to support championship ambitions.
I just don’t want to do something to screw that up, get hurt, or something like that,
—Chase Briscoe, NASCAR Driver
Championship Aspirations Fueled by Consistency and Determination
Briscoe’s ability to repeatedly secure pole positions at high-profile NASCAR events, including three of the sport’s Crown Jewel races—the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Brickyard 400—reflects his raw talent and potential. His continued focus on converting strong qualifying spots into race wins remains pivotal for his championship chase.
Harvick’s observations underline the gradual but encouraging evolution in Briscoe’s performance: from a qualifying specialist to a consistent front-runner capable of capitalizing on opportunities. The ongoing refinement of race tactics and resilience during critical moments could soon push Briscoe from playoff contender to race winner more regularly.
As the 2025 season progresses, Briscoe’s blend of speed, skill, and strategic adjustments will be closely watched by fans and competitors alike. His move to focus exclusively on NASCAR and align himself with a leading team places him in a strong position to fuel his playoff surge and achieve the championship success he seeks.