NASCAR insiders break down significance of Pocono win for Chase Briscoe: ‘No excuses when you join JGR’

Chase Briscoe won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono on Sunday, and two NASCAR insiders explained why it was big for him. On The Teardown podcast, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic broke down how important it was for Briscoe to get a win for Joe Gibs Racing (JGR).

“This is obviously huge for him just to get himself locked in the playoffs,” Gluck said. “Not that he was close to the playoff bubble, but now this is 11 winners, the playoff bubble has been moving up. Yeah, he’s got to make the playoffs. In a JGR car, you’re expected to win. In that 19 car, you’re expected to win. …You get Briscoe signed there and this is an opportunity. I think he even said before the season, ‘If I don’t win in this car, I don’t deserve to be in NASCAR at Cup because it’ll show this is my chance.’

Bianchi echoed what Gluck said about Briscoe and the expectations with his new team. “There are no excuses when you join (JGR),” Bianchi said. “Zero. This is a blue blood. This an elite, best-of-the-best organization with every resource at its disposal. If you go there and you fall flat on your face and you don’t win, you don’t make the playoffs, that’s on you. That’s just the reality of the situation.

Chase Briscoe knew he had to win at JGR

“He knew that. His crew chief, James Small, knew that. I go back a year ago when they announced Chase Briscoe, both he and James said, ‘This is on us, we have to go out and perform, and if we don’t, we’re going to be in trouble.’ Compounding that is the face that your teammate, Denny Hamlin, has won three races and is very much a championship contender. Your other teammate, Christopher Bell, wins three races, and I think we agree is a championship contender and has the pedigree of being that. …At some point, this has got to go past through of you’ve got to win.”

Chase Briscoe won his third career NASCAR Cup Series race and first with JGR. He spent his first four seasons as a full-time Cup Series driver with Stewart-Haas Racing. Briscoe replaced Martin Truex Jr. at JGR as Truex announced his retirement last summer.