Chase Briscoe, James Small take weight off their shoulders with Pocono win

LONG POND, Pennsylvania — There may not have been a driver-crew chief combination in NASCAR with more to prove going into 2025 than Chase Briscoe and James Small. 

Small and the No. 19 team hadn't won since New Hampshire in July 2023. Meanwhile, Briscoe had been signed to replace Martin Truex Jr. behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota after Stewart-Haas Racing announced that it would close its doors. 

With expectations higher than they had ever been for Briscoe and Small staring down the barrel of a two-year winless drought, it's safe to say that Briscoe's victory at Pocono Raceway on Sunday — one that was earned by Briscoe saving fuel and holding off Denny Hamlin — lifted some weight off of the shoulders of both men. 

"Huge weight, huge relief," said an emotional Small in the media center on Sunday evening. "It's been hard. (We've) been very, very close. I've lost about 10 times as many races as I've won. It's just so hard to win in this series. You have to be perfect, you have to have perfect days. It all just comes down to execution. You can have a fast car, but that's probably not the biggest thing. You need a little luck and you need to keep it clean all day. Just happy we had one of those days today." 

For Briscoe, who was tasked with replacing a future Hall of Famer in Truex Jr. at an organization that requires perfection, the win is one that he hopes is the first of many for him behind the wheel of a JGR Toyota. 

"It's humbling that, out of all the people, Coach picked me," Briscoe said. "I'm sure there were a lot of people scratching their heads. Even internally, I think when he said, 'we should go with this guy.' For him to feel validated is a great thing as a driver, to know that your boss is happy with you." 

Briscoe knows his name will forever be etched in history alongside the legends that also piloted Joe Gibbs' cars. 

"When you look at the list of Hall of Famers that have gotten to drive for Coach Gibbs and gotten to victory lane, the fact that I'm going to be on that pretty short list is honestly pretty special. It's crazy." 

For a kid from Mitchell, Indiana, who grew up watching Tony Stewart drive the iconic JGR No. 20, winning for the organization is a full-circle moment for Briscoe. 

"As a kid, I would play my sprint car game in a Joe Gibbs Home Depot uniform," Briscoe said. "From being a diehard Tony Stewart fan to being able to deliver a victory to Coach is pretty special." 

Time will tell whether or not Briscoe can rise to the heights of Truex Jr. and Stewart during his tenure at Joe Gibbs Racing, but he and Small certainly quelled some of their doubters with their win at Pocono.