Last year, Stewart-Haas Racing had reached its zenith season. After first forming the team in 2008 with  Gene Haas, Tony Stewart went on a glory spree. His team went on to clinch two Cup Series championships (2011, 2014) and 70 Cup race wins – the last one clinched by Chase Briscoe at Darlington last year. But the cracks were visible over the last few years, and Briscoe now has a yardstick with which to measure them.

Soon after Tony Stewart announced the dissolution of his team in May 2024, Joe Gibbs picked up his finest driver. Chase Briscoe is currently getting ready to wheel the No. 19 JGR Toyota. An early experience at the Bowman Gray is making him realize the vast difference.

Chase Briscoe is proud of his new household

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is officially underway. Drivers engaged in practice sessions for the much-awaited Cook Out Clash event at Bowman Gray Stadium. The field of 39 entrants was split up into three practice groups, where drivers got a feel of the Madhouse. Now that it is back on the NASCAR schedule, drivers are gearing up for the renewed experience – including Chase Briscoe. From getting a chance in the PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge in 2013 to landing a seat in NASCAR’s powerhouse team in 2024, he has come a long way. And Briscoe has the utmost faith in his team.

The new Joe Gibbs Racing driver delved into his Madhouse experience in an interview with Bob Pockrass. Chase Briscoe recounted how he may be repeating the same mistake. “Doing the same thing I did in qualifying, where I was just trying so hard. I know how important that front row is going to be. I just wanted to calm down a little bit and I kept doing what I was doing…Overall, it’s a really good start, you know.” Despite his jittery feelings, Briscoe could also brush away the worries that were present when he was in SHR. Tony Stewart’s team lost many sponsors in 2023 and visibly broke down in performance in its latter years.

SHR also focused more on solving performance issues over data-driven solutions. However, Briscoe had admitted to shortcomings even in 2024 – like after the Martinsville race in March. On the contrary, Joe Gibbs’ team is infinitely meticulous – every decision from car set-up to racing strategy is backed up by careful analysis. And Chase Briscoe boldly flaunted this difference: “The cars are really, really, really good. It’s hard to tell what you’re after the whole season, but it’s like this – it’s just crazy, truthfully, how much different it is. Yeah, really excited. Hopefully, we’re going to have a good run tomorrow night. Looking forward to the season this year.”

Chase Briscoe’s first outing with JGR also proved eventful. He learned about the Bowman Gray track – which has an infamous reputation anyway.

Gearing up for a tough fight

The Bowman Gray Stadium has a hallowed history in motorsports. Most of that respect comes from the raw nature of this 0.25-mile short track. It hosted the sport between 1958 and 1971, following which the dirt racing world overtook it. However, all racing fans know exactly how rowdy the track can become. Demolition derbies stemming from heated rivalries, fans throwing gut punches at race winners, and just pure chaos – what else can better define the Madhouse? Chase Briscoe is already getting hints about that, as he outlined the differences between the LA Coliseum and Bowman Gray. The former is relatively easy to maneuver.

Chase Briscoe explained what he felt after turning laps at the Madhouse. “I thought it was a little different, you know. I thought it was a little more technical than the Coliseum. At the Coliseum, you gotta just do the heavy braking, turn, and win. The tires never really wore out or anything. While here, we’re really slipping and sliding around…I’ll say it’s probably harder to pass somebody here. Just because there’s not a ton of heavy braking and you can just drive through the guy. I think we’re going to have a long, long run.” Then he again circled back to appreciating Joe Gibbs’ cars. “The car’s going to make a big difference…yeah, it should be good.”

Evidently, Chase Briscoe is happy to be where he is right now, and we should afford him that joy. After all, the racer has trodden a long way from scraps to gold in NASCAR.