If you have been following the Chili Bowl event this year, then you must have noticed that car ownership seems to be the trend in Tulsa. Most NASCAR personalities, like Alex Bowman and Christopher Bell, are fielding cars for their drivers, and now Chase Briscoe has joined the mix. However, owning a race team is not as easy as it seems, and Briscoe knows all about it.

Reflecting on a difficult weekend for his Chase Briscoe Racing team, the 31-year-old driver was slightly disappointed.

“It definitely could have been better,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said. “Last night still kind of stings. We had just passed Christopher, and then the caution came out and started right behind him, and we kind of got shuffled on the start. And you know, Christopher ends up winning, and we run eighth, so that one kind of stings, but we’ve been fast at least.”

Christopher Bell’s preliminary A-Main victory on Thursday still hurts Briscoe.

Bell started eighth and came from back in the pack to win the feature, while Chase Briscoe’s drivers, who were chasing Bell for the win, ended up losing out.

Taking full advantage of the restart, Briscoe’s JGR teammate didn’t waste a single second. Bell drifted away from all the drivers to take the lead and eventually win the race. And that stung harder than Briscoe admits.

Chase Briscoe’s program has been steadily building, and two of the drivers now running under his banner at the Chili Bowl are Jordan Kinser and Karter Sarff.

Kinser, with a background in USAC sprint cars and midget racing, is entered in the 2026 Chili Bowl driving for Chase Briscoe Racing and has previously helped the team advance to A-Main competition.

Sarff is also listed under Briscoe’s team for the 2026 event and has driven Briscoe’s entry in past years, including making his first A-Main appearance with the program. However, the 31-year-old isn’t losing hope.

But as the Indiana native expects great things from his team this year, he cannot be counted out in the Cup Series.

Great expectations from Briscoe in 2026

Briscoe enters 2026 as one of the drivers to watch for the NASCAR series title. His season with JGR didn’t start the way he wanted in 2025, but he found his rhythm when it mattered most.

The 31-year-old won two races and was one of the most consistent performers during the playoffs, nearly finishing with the highest point total over the 10-race stretch.

That late surge sets the stage for high expectations in 2026. With the momentum from his playoff run, Briscoe and the No. 19 team, who entered their first-ever Championship 4 together, should be viewed as serious contenders for multiple wins and a deep championship push.

He came close to capturing his first Cup title last year, but tire problems in the final race ended that chance. Now, Briscoe and Joe Gibbs Racing are aiming to build on the progress they showed in the playoffs and carry it across the full season in 2026.