“We are f—ed on fuel here, Chase. We’re just going to have to see how this goes and see if we can make it…Just be disciplined.” The alarm in the voice of James Small, the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team crew chief, showcased how Chase Briscoe was in deep waters. Tackling the three-turn, multiple-corner Pocono Raceway is no joke, especially when you are up against a seven-time Pocono winner, Denny Hamlin. However, Briscoe was motivated enough for the sake of his new team at The Great American Getaway 400.

Chase Briscoe delivers his expectations

At this time last year, the 30-year-old Indiana native was struggling. Chase Briscoe was part of the crumbling Stewart-Haas Racing team back then until Joe Gibbs roped him in after HSR was disbanded. So, no amount of fuel mileage issues, tricky turns, or even a determined teammate could stop him from delivering for Joe Gibbs Racing at Pocono. During the final 30 laps, Briscoe went all-out to save his fuel and made his final pit stop on lap 119 of 160. At the end of it all, Chase Briscoe stretched his fuel tank enough to score a 0.682-second victory over Pocono master Denny Hamlin!

Not only did he snuff out his crew chief’s concerns, but he also matched Joe Gibbs’ expectations of him. In the post-race interview, Briscoe let out his emotions while handing Denny Hamlin the 4-word GOAT tag: “I wasn’t driving hard, it’s not like I was on the ragged edge. But it was so hard to have a guy chasing you, especially the guy who is probably the greatest all the time here, and then you’re trying to save fuel and everything else…Joe Gibbs Racing took a big chance on me, right? I wasn’t everybody’s first choice, I think. But for me to be able to get here and finally deliver a win is just an awesome feeling.”

Making Joe Gibbs happy is what endeared Chase Briscoe the most. As the fresh recruit into JGR, Briscoe had a chip on his shoulder – and he royally removed it in Pocono. Briscoe continued: “Yeah, it’s huge. I mean, I literally grew up racing my sprint car video game in a Joe Gibbs Racing Home Depot uniform. So yeah, to be able to get Coach in Victory Lane after them taking a chance on me is so rewarding, truthfully. It’s just such a big weight off my shoulders. I’ve been telling my wife the last two weeks, like, I have to win. To finally come here and do it, it’s been a great day.”

This win marks a milestone in Briscoe’s career. After being on top of the world while getting a seat at his idol, Tony Stewart’s racing team, and giving them their last ever victory at Darlington last year, Briscoe knew it was time to make a big leap. Joining JGR, where he replaced championship-winning driver Martin Truex Jr., and teamed up with his childhood friend Christopher Bell, seemed like the right step, but that came with added pressure, which Briscoe openly admitted after the win.

His teammate, Christopher Bell, started the season with three wins on the trot. Then Denny Hamlin rattled off three wins. Everyone was waiting for Briscoe to fire, and he was, too. Feeling vindicated after the win, Briscoe reflected, saying, “Last couple weeks especially, there’s just been this huge weight on my shoulders… I feel like I honestly weigh like a 100 pounds less already… The expectation is if you’re not gonna be in the playoffs, you’re not gonna be in this car anymore.”

What is more? Even his teammate acknowledged what a great day it was, and Chase Briscoe may have gotten peak satisfaction there.

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A salute from the topmost rival

Well, frankly, Pocono has been Denny Hamlin’s playground. In fact, the JGR veteran kick-started his career at the Tricky Triangle. From his first two Cup Series victories, coming in Pocono to defeating legend Kevin Harvick for his 6th victory, Hamlin practically rules the track. He looked poised to win his 8th Pocono race on Sunday, starting on the pole and winning the 1st stage. However, little did he suspect that his own teammate would be resilient enough to topple that dominance.

Chase Briscoe jumped from 6th to 4th by the first stage, and after the lap 83 caution, he assumed the lead. From then onwards, Briscoe delivered a smooth fight to both his fuel mileage issues and Hamlin. The No. 11 Toyota driver was left astounded by the end of the race. Denny Hamlin reflected on his fight with Briscoe, admitting to how strong the No. 19 team was.

Hamlin said, “It was definitely going to be really difficult. The key moment, the 19, and like three or four others pitted, and then that caution came out, and it leaped them in front of us. At that point, we knew it was going to be really hard to pass those guys back on the racetrack. The team did a great job, next best in line there of our strategy. Just didn’t work out.”

Hence, Denny Hamlin himself hailed this superb battle with his teammate. The jaw-dropping victory has surely left all JGR fans with a renewed sense of pride in Chase Briscoe. Let us see how he breaks down more barriers to attaining a JGR veteran status.