Chase Briscoe Plots Unconventional Playoff Push After Early Breakthrough in Darlington

Chase Briscoe, in his first year for Joe Gibbs Racing, has turned into a statement piece. In a race that chewed up even the most seasoned drivers, he strung together the perfect blend of patience, aggression, and precision to win the Southern 500. It didn’t just lock him into the Round of 12, but it pushed him to the top of the playoff leaderboard with a swagger that’s hard to miss. Now with Gateway looming, Briscoe carries the momentum into a territory where he has had 17th, 34th, and 24th place finishes. So, can he deliver when the stakes are sky-high?

Well, he did at Darlington Raceway. He led a staggering 309 of 367 laps, sweeping both stages and fending off a fierce late charge from Tyler Reddick before stealing his second straight Southern 500 victory. The cherry on top, you may ask? He became the first driver with consecutive wins in NASCAR’s crown jewel race since Greg Biffle in 2005 and 2006. But as his momentum rages on, Briscoe needs to have a tactical game plan to overcome Gateway, which is a tricky track with its asymmetrical turns and a mind of its own.

Speaking on Dale Junior’s DJD podcast, Chase Briscoe revealed his plans to conquer Gateway. He said, “Yeah, I mean, the only real experience I guess I have is in the Xfinity series. I think I was able to win the first race of two rounds. And it definitely, you know, changes your outlook, I guess, or your preparation just for the, you know, knowing kind of what the first race is in the next round. You know, like for me, Louden is something that I’d already told James I wanted to work on kind of in advance, just because it’s a track I feel like I really struggle at. We’ll probably just put a little more emphasis on Louden than what we typically would, as far as ear, like how early we start doing that. But I mean for us, it’s still super important these next two weeks to go and you try to win stages and win the race.”

Chase Briscoe’s most recent visit to Gateway was back in 2017; it was the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ Drivin’ for Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park. Driving for Brad Keselowski Racing, he delivered a strong run and crossed the line 2nd, right behind John Hunter Nemechek. But this time around in the Cup Series, Briscoe is not playing for fun; he is racing to win.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver added, “I mean, even at Darlington, we went from, you know, 10 playoff points to 17. We basically doubled our playoff points, which is going to be huge for the rounds going forward. So I mean, that’s a huge point of emphasis for us these next two weeks is you know, let’s try to get as many playoff points as we can. And that’ll help us in these later rounds and and now having the win in the bank, you know, we can definitely, you know, be a little more aggressive on strategy and, you know, we’re not point racing like everybody else is.”

Currently, Chase Briscoe is sitting pretty at the top of the 2025 Cup standings with 2,070 points, thanks to his Darlington dominance. His season shines with two wins, six poles, 11 top fives, and 13 top 10s across 27 starts. Briscoe’s average starting position is an impressive 10.0, while his average finish comes in around 13.2. When it comes to dominance, he has been a force, leading 628 laps in 2025. Whether it’s on short ovals, superspeedways, or road courses, Briscoe’s consistency is attracting quite the chatter this season.

Kyle Petty explains why Chase Briscoe’s Darlington repeat should be taken more seriously

Chase Briscoe’s Southern 500 triumph isn’t just another start in the books; it is a mic drop moment in NASCAR history that most people aren’t grasping in full. Sure, fans are applauding, but Kyle Petty is practically shouting from the rooftops about how monumental this really is. Winning a crown jewel back-to-back in the Next-Gen era? That’s already a tall order. Only seven drivers in history have done it, and Briscoe just became the newest member (eighth) of that ultra-exclusive club.

But here is the kicker: Briscoe’s way of doing it is one of a kind. Petty broke it down. He said, “Chase Briscoe did it with two teams, Stewart-Haas Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing. Chase Briscoe did it with two manufacturers, with Ford and with Toyota. Chase Briscoe did it with two different crew chiefs, two different pit crews, two different everything. He did something that no one else has ever done.”

Last year, Briscoe rolled into Darlington in a must-win scenario with his playoff hopes dangling by a thread. He needed the Southern 500, of all races, to keep his season alive, and he delivered. For Petty, that is not just impressive; it is iconic. He said, “I look at this as one of the greatest back-to-backs ever. And I think, I am going to say this, that it’s harder to do it today than it’s ever been.”

Before Briscoe, names like Cale Yarborough etched their legacies with consecutive Southern 500 wins, but Petty insists those days were different. He added, “That was tough, but, at the same time, there were only six or seven guys who could win. When we look at this right now, there have been so many winners in the past twenty years who haven’t been able to go back-to-back.” The last driver to pull it off before Briscoe was Greg Biffle. With this, the 30-year-old snapped a 20-year drought. No wonder Petty’s giving Briscoe flowers that might still be fresh when his racing days are long over.