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Chase Briscoe's secret to survival—Is he the most underrated driver in NASCAR right now?

Chase Briscoe is among the few playoff racers who have had a decent finish at the recent Watkins Glen race. Things have been going right recently for the Stewart Haas Racing’s ace racer. He surprised the racing community initially with his impeccable driving skills to win the regular-season finale and secure a playoff spot at the Darlington Raceway. This season, his run in the playoffs is too good to be true, even for his fans and the team. Except for the recent disappointment at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the No. 14 has shown promise this season. Briscoe has a decent shot at the Round of 12 this season, given that Briscoe keeps up the momentum he has received from Watkins Glen.

Wrecks, flips and accidents have been an integral part of NASCAR racing. If not anything, the 2024 season has only reaffirmed this perception about the sport. The wrecking story has been particularly concerning this season. From Richmond Raceway to Watkins Glen, racers have been wrecking each other in a manner and quantity rarely seen in NASCAR. To quantify the incidents on racetracks, 12 races ended in overtime this season. That’s the highest number of overtime in a single season since the implementation of the rule 20 years ago.

With a season-deciding race at Bristol Motor Speedway just around the corner, Chase Briscoe has a secret strategy so that the No. 14 can cruise through the next round of the playoffs. A rare feat for the organization as it stares at its last run in the playoffs before closing down operations at the end of the season.

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Chase Briscoe shares his strategy ahead of the season decider

Wrecks and several cautions shrouded the second race of the playoffs at Watkins Glen, too. While the subsequent restarts extended the climax of the race, it ultimately did provide the contest between Chris Buescher and Shane Van Gisbergen. Buescher capitalized on a mistake from SVG during the dying moments of the race to claim an important lead and win the race. The move amplified the adrenaline levels of the fans who were on the edge of their seats. This was Chris Buescher’s first win in the 2024 season and sixth in his Cup Series career so far.

The race saw domination from non-playoff racers. Shane Van Gisbergen and Carson Hocevar of Spire Motorsports achieved the podium spots at second and third position, respectively. Chase Briscoe, the winner of the Cook Out Southern 500 was the only racer in playoff contention to have acquired a place in the top 5. The impressive finish from the No. 14 of SHR Racing did turn the tides in terms of his position in the playoff standings. The 29-year-old was out of the playoff bubble with 21 points below the elimination line after a disappointing run at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Now, he has marched upwards in the playoff rankings, pushing Denny Hamlin below the elimination line and 6 points clear of entering the Round of 12.

After the race, the No. 14 talked about his strategy ahead of the race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Speaking to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, the 29-year-old revealed his secret sauce for surviving elimination, saying, “just gotta survive the chaos.” He continued, “We saw it today. Guys get caught up in stuff, and it ends their day. Bristol is obviously a peaceful place for that to happen. But we just have to qualify here. That’s gonna be the biggest key for us. If you can qualify and get stage points, then we just have to see what kind of race we’re gonna have.”

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Chase Briscoe's secret to survival—Is he the most underrated driver in NASCAR right now?

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Qualifying for the Round of 12 is not going to be an easy task for Chase Briscoe. While he has turned the tide at Watkins Glen in his favor. Bristol is going to be a different race altogether. Veterans of the sport like Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. will come to the racetrack desperate to leave their mark on the race and save their respective seasons. The Joe Gibbs Racing duo knows how to be headstrong in such situations and apply pressure on youngsters like Briscoe and Ty Gibbs, who are right ahead of them in the playoff standings. Briscoe is certain of expecting the unexpected at Bristol Motor Speedway.

While the racing veterans have better last-minute execution and better improvisation skills than Briscoe, records do favor him. History tells us that there is a solid relationship between Stewart Haas Racing and Bristol Motor Speedway. The SHR racers are at the best versions of themselves at the racetrack, which will determine the names for the Round of 12 for this season.

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Chase Briscoe has an impressive record at the Bristol Motor Speedway, especially at the Xfinity series. He won a race at the 0.533-mile-long speedway in the Xfinity Series in 2020. Briscoe also managed to finish in the top-4 in his last four appearances in the Xfinity Series at the Bristol Motor Speedway. However, the 29-year-old is still waiting to repeat the similar kind of performances in the Cup Series. The No. 14’s best performance at the Bristol Motor Speedway in the Cup Series is a 13th-place finish which he achieved twice.

USA Today via Reuters

However, Chase Briscoe has reasons to remain hopeful. Since Stewart Haas Racing too had an impressive run at the Bristol Motor Speedway. The most promising run in the Cup Series of a Stewart Haas Racing driver comes from NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick. The former SHR Racer has managed to win a race at Bristol Motor Speedway thrice. He won the Bass Pro Shops NRA Nights Race twice in 2020 and won the Food City 500 way back in the year 2005. Other than Harvick, Clint Bowyer of SHR Racing has also impressed the racing community at the Bristol Motor Speedway.

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What are your thoughts on Chase Briscoe’s prospects at Bristol Motor Speedway this year? Do tell us in the comment down below.