From January 13 until the 18, the Chili Bowl Nationals kicked off and eventually wrapped up. Kyle Larson won this year’s edition of the race, marking it his third triumph in the iconic dirt racing event. Now, he is only two behind Sammy Swindell, who owns the all-time record for the most Chili Bowl wins. However in a recent tweet, Chase Briscoe exposed the iconic midget car event in an embarrassing way.

Recently, 2023 Trans Am TA2 National Champion Brent Crews boasted about a brand new watch. This watch was fondly dubbed the Golden Driller, and it featured a man standing next to a massive rig. Needless to say, Briscoe was feeling a little jealous, and he put forward a prize that he was given. Apparently, it was a slight knock on the Chili Bowl Nationals as the watch that he possessed was less fancy.

Chase Briscoe’s watch had the name Speedway Tulsa Shootout and named him as a champion. However he admitted that Crews’ prize watch looked more ‘like a Rolex’ than his own prize watch. The new Joe Gibbs Racing driver confessed that his watch used to be the standard prize given out after the Tulsa Shootout.

The driver had been competing in the iconic event for nearly a decade. However, owing to the birth of his twins this year, he elected to give the event a miss. What’s actually interesting was that he had the blessing of Joe Gibbs to compete in the event. Typically, Coach Gibbs had always been hesitant to allow his drivers to run in these events.

It is understandable, because he likely did not want them getting an injury during the pre-season. Additionally, a potential injury could compromise the Joe Gibbs Racing team’s Cup Series preparations. Fortunately, his stance seems to be relaxing now, and his drivers are free to pursue extra curricular activities. As for Briscoe, he has no regrets about missing the Chili Bowl Nationals, as his family comes before any racing commitment.

This could help him in 2025, as he prepares for his debut with Joe Gibbs Racing. It will be a new environment, after spending much of his career in the Stewart-Haas Racing stable. However, since that team’s major restructuring at the end of the 2024 season, Briscoe was one of sacrificed employees. Still, their loss was JGR’s gain, and they snapped him up to succeed a retiring Martin Truex Jr.

What expectations have been lumped on the driver?

Of course, with a new team comes new expectations for Briscoe. As a top team, Joe Gibbs Racing is expecting him to hit the ground running and keep up with his teammates. The likes of Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs will be very quick and keen to give him a helping hand. However, Chase Briscoe will also have to pull his own weight and back up his teammates when needed.

We are just a couple of weeks away from the start of the season, and the pressure will be intense. Everything starts with the Busch Light Clash at the Bowman Gray Stadium. This will pretty much be a new experience for everyone, so that could be a potential lottery. However that is just the appetiser, as the real season begins with the Daytona 500 on February 13.

In all honesty, this is a race that everyone wants to win, and Chase Briscoe will be no different. The Daytona 500 is pretty much a status symbol in the NASCAR community, so winning it is a badge of honor. What could help him is that the iconic race is unpredictable, and his best chance is to survive any shenanigans and put himself in a winning position.