LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Chase Briscoe made a triumphant comeback at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, using less fuel in the final lap to hold off Denny Hamlin, a teammate of Joe Gibbs Racing, for his first racing team victory.
Briscoe’s triumph handed the No. 19 Toyota its first victory since 2023, when Martin Truex Jr. rode in it, and he raced his way into an automatic position in NASCAR’s playoffs. After Stewart-Haas Racing dissolved at the end of the previous season and Briscoe was fired to take Truex’s place in the four-car JGR field, he lost his job.
The seven-time track record holder, Hamlin, seemed as though he might catch Briscoe in the last, exhilarating laps, but the No. 11 Toytota was too strong to win the seventh Pocono.
According to Briscoe, it was quite difficult to be pursued by a man, particularly the best of all time.
Briscoe sped to his third career Cup victory and his first since Darlington in 2024 after winning an Xfinity Series race at Pocono in 2020.
Briscoe has been on a bit of a hot streak, finishing in the top 10 four times in the last six races, including seventh in the much-discussed race in Mexico City last week.
With nine races remaining before the field is decided, he became the eleventh driver to secure a place in the 16-driver field.
Second place went to Hamlin. Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher, and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top five.
At Pocono, third-generation Indiana dirt racer Briscoe delivered JGR their 18th Cup triumph.
“It’s just an amazing feeling to get here and finally deliver a win,” he remarked. It’s really satisfying to be able to put Coach in victory lane after he risked his money on me.
Rain caused the race to be delayed by two hours and ten minutes, and by the time the green flag was raised, the weather was humid. Briscoe won the second stage after leading 72 laps.
Before the race, Briscoe posted on social media, “Anyone heading to Oklahoma City from Pocono after the race on Sunday?” Game 7 of the NBA Finals was not going to be attended by the Pacers fan.
There’s no doubt that he will accept a trip to victory lane.
Ouch
A little scare occurred on pit road when AJ Allmendinger used his right front side to strike a tire in the carrier’s hand, sending it flying into the ribs of a teammate in the pit ahead of him. Shane van Gisbergen’s race team’s rear tire changer, Jonpatrik Kealey, was knocked down on his hands and knees but managed to complete his pit stop.
Brake time
Brake problems marred the races of Riley Herbst, Michael McDowell, and Bubba Wallace.
“It was definitely a frightening feeling,” Herbst added. It was merely a poor adjustment on my part, and I was just beginning to get tight. The brakes simply went to the floor as I entered (turn) one. I was present when a brake rotor exploded.
Up next
NASCAR is traveling to Atlanta.In March, Christopher Bellwon win the track’s inaugural race of the season.
