NASCAR
Chase Briscoe takes Joe Gibbs Racing back to Pocono Victory Lane
LONG POND, Pa. – Pocono Raceway saw what looked like a fatal blunder pan out for a Playoff-setting triumph. The new man on the block at Joe Gibbs Racing, Chase Briscoe executed almost flawlessly over Sunday’s second half. A pit road miscue by the driver forced aggressive fuel savings over the closing laps. Briscoe’s fuel tank never ran dry, however, allowing the No. 19 Toyota to close out their maiden victory of 2025.
From the pole, Denny Hamlin was largely unchallenged in Stage 1 and picked up this win. Pocono marked stage victory number four of 2025 for the No. 11 Toyota. Stage 2 saw Hamlin’s teammate Chase Briscoe take the lead from Carson Hocevar and hold on for these points. This was Briscoe’s first Stage win of the season, earning major points for the Playoff bubble driver.
Little did anyone know at this point, but Briscoe’s No. 19 would retain control for the remainder of the afternoon. It was anything but a stress-free march to victory lane, however, thanks to a premature pit exit. Briscoe left his pit stall a few seconds early under the final green flag cycle. As a result, the last 30-lap run to the finish saw Briscoe try to save two or three laps worth of fuel.
Despite being an apparent sitting duck, Briscoe was able to find a pace that allowed for enough fuel savings to make the checkered flag under power. Briscoe’s third career Cup triumph sends him to the Playoffs once again, amidst his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing. Much like his Darlington win last fall, he held off one of the sport’s best in teammate Denny Hamlin to take this trophy.
“It was a lot,” Briscoe said. “It was kind of weird. I wasn’t driving hard. It’s not like I was on the ragged edge. It was so hard to have a guy chasing you, right, probably the guy that’s the greatest of all time here. Trying to save fuel and everything else.”
“Thank you to all you race fans. It’s sold out every single time we come here. Unbelievable racing in front of a sold-out crowd. Amazing day for our race team. Really the first race we’ve kind of executed truthfully all year long. To get Bass Pro Shops, Johnny Morris, in victory lane, to get Toyota in victory lane.”
“Joe Gibbs Racing took a big chance on me. Like, I wasn’t everybody’s first choice I think. Yeah, but for me to be able to get here and finally deliver a win is just an awesome feeling.”
“Anybody that has worked with me knows I’m normally overdriving, missing my marks all the time. Yeah, for sure. It’s crazy when you slow down. My dad tells me all the time, Slow down, you’ll probably go faster. It’s true there.”
“Amazing day. Just want to say hi to Marissa, Brooks, Cooper, Collins. Wish they were here to celebrate this. It’s an amazing day. Once again, thank you to you all you race fans.”
“I literally grew up racing my sprint car video game in a Joe Gibbs Racing Home Depot uniform. To get Coach in Victory Lane after, like I said, them taking a chance on me, it’s so rewarding truthfully. Just a big weight off my shoulders. I’ve been telling my wife the last two weeks, I have to win. To finally come here and do it, it has been a great day.”
Behind Briscoe were arguable Pocono’s two best active drivers: Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney. They were just ahead of two more past Pennsylvania winners–Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott. John Hunter Nemechek, Kyle Larson, Ryan Preece, Brad Keselowski, and Austin Cindric rounded out the top-10.
Briscoe is the 11th different winner through 17 races in 2025, locking up another pivotal Playoff spot. Only five berths remain open with nine races left in the regular season. Take a look at the updated postseason grid below.
From one wild Playoff-upsetting race to another, Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway is next on deck. The Quaker State 400 will be another barnburner drafting race under the lights on Saturday, with postseason pressure closing in. The Georgia green flag will wave at 7 p.m. ET on TNT, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credits to Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
