Chase Briscoe’s NASCAR journey has been a rollercoaster of loyalty, heartbreak, and new beginnings. For years, Briscoe was the fresh face of Stewart-Haas Racing, a team co-owned by his childhood hero Tony Stewart. The 2024 season’s shocking closure of SHR left Briscoe and his teammates adrift, their futures uncertain. Briscoe’s emotional farewell, captured on Netflix’s NASCAR: Full Speed-showed just how deeply Stewart’s mentorship and the SHR family meant to him. Yet, as one door closed, another opened.

Briscoe landed at powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing, inheriting the No. 19 seat after Martin Truex Jr.’s retirement. Now, with the weight of JGR’s high standards and a new team dynamic, Briscoe finds himself under a fresh spotlight. After a fourth-place finish at Kansas, his candid post-race comments revealed just how tough the adjustment has been-and why the pressure is mounting.

Chase Briscoe’s Kansas breakthrough highlights JGR’s high expectations

Chase Briscoe’s first attempt at Kansas with Joe Gibbs Racing marked his best performance yet at the track. Briscoe notched up his fourth top-five of the season, and this strong run was a significant improvement over his previous results at the 1.5-mile oval. He had zero top-1o finishes and an average finish of 21.5 before today’s result. However, his overall season has been marred by a lack of consistency, and he opened up about his struggles.

Like SHR, Joe Gibbs Racing also runs four full-time cars. However, their standard for success for these cars is much higher. Chase Briscoe reflected on this gap after the Kansas race, saying, “I would say… where I’m coming from, I feel like it worked great, right? But I think by JGR standards, they definitely feel like they’re off.” That was a sharp yet subtle dig at the gulf in standards between Stewart-Haas Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing.

Tony Stewart, former co-owner of SHR, had driven for JGR as well and won championships with each organization in his career. However, the end of his tenure as an owner saw some tough times. Briscoe winning the regular season finale at Darlington in 2024 was a celebrated moment. Their first win of the season came after desperate times. However, at JGR, wins mean nothing more than another day at the office. It’s the championships that matter most, and having four full-time cars means more scope for success. However, that success has been far from consistent this season.

I’m obviously new, right? So, like, I’m still trying to figure out the vibe of the organization. I feel like we’re not the best right now. I feel like Hendrick’s kind of a step above… I feel like, as an organization, we’re second for sure, maybe third, and even as a race team, there’s a lot we can do better.” Hendrick Motorsports’ consistency and speed have set the standard this season. Among other JGR factions, Denny Hamlin’s team is in third place in the drivers standings, Christopher Bell is 6th, Chase Briscoe is 14th, and Ty Gibbs is down in 22nd position. Hendrick Motorsports, on the other hand, is placed 1st (Kyle Larson), 2nd (William Byron), 4th (Chase Elliott), and 11th (Alex Bowman). A huge contrast to JGR’s performance.

Briscoe also revealed the internal pressure at JGR, saying, “Me and James [Small, crew chief] were just talking about it this week… We are so far off right now, just as a team, like in our full potential.” Despite the impressive results this season, Briscoe feels there’s much more to achieve for him and his crew chief, James Small. The expectation to win and run up front is relentless at JGR.

Chase Briscoe’s honest assessment reflects the reality of moving from Stewart-Haas Racing to JGR. The transition has brought higher standards and greater scrutiny. As he continues to adjust, the question remains: Can Briscoe and JGR close the gap to Hendrick and reclaim their spot at the top?

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Stewart-Haas Racing vs. Joe Gibbs Racing: Briscoe’s Kansas evolution

Chase Briscoe’s Kansas debut with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) marked a significant leap from his previous efforts at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). In five seasons with SHR, Kansas was a persistent struggle for Briscoe. He never finished inside the top 10 in his eight starts at the 1.5-mile track, with the venue repeatedly proving to be his “kryptonite.”

SHR, while once a championship-caliber organization, faced mounting challenges in its final years, including inconsistent speed and a lack of competitive finishes across its stable. “Since I started SHR on the 14 car and every time we came to Kansas, I ran 25th to 30th,” Chase Briscoe summed up his struggles at SHR. The contrast with JGR is stark. JGR’s No. 19 team, previously piloted by Martin Truex Jr., has excelled at Kansas, notching 10 top-10s in 12 starts before Briscoe’s arrival. However, Briscoe’s 2025 Kansas weekend didn’t start smoothly.

He ranked 31st in practice and suffered a left-rear tire failure. Yet, with strategic overnight changes and a resilient drive, Briscoe surged from the rear to finish fourth. Chase Briscoe reflected on this improvement, adding, “You can only drive the car as fast as you go, and JGR’s car potential is just unbelievable.” This improvement highlights the resources and technical strength JGR brings. At SHR, Briscoe often battled just to break into the top 15. Limited data, fewer engineering resources, and a team in transition after the announcement of its 2024 closure hampered him.

Despite the adjustment challenges, Chase Briscoe’s move to JGR has already paid dividends on the track. The question now is whether he can consistently convert JGR’s high standards and superior equipment into wins. A leap that eluded him at SHR. As Briscoe adapts to his new environment, his Kansas breakthrough suggests his ceiling is much higher with JGR than it ever was at SHR.