The dynamics between a driver and their crew chief can define a racing season in NASCAR. And Tony Stewart‘s 29-year-old protégé knows this all too well. In a surprising turn of events, his current crew chief, who once raced for Dale Earnhardt Jr in a cameo race for his Xfinity team JR Motorsports, is causing a stir in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Richard Boswell’s brief foray into NASCAR as a driver occurred in the Xfinity Series, where he took the wheel for JR Motorsports at Memphis. Though his racing career was short-lived, he found success as a crew chief with Chase Briscoe during their time together in the Xfinity Series. However, the same can’t be said about their time in the Cup Series this season.

Chase Briscoe sheds light on why his #14 car has been inconsistent this season

Stewart-Haas Racing initiated a shuffle that led to Richard Boswell’s current role as Briscoe’s crew chief. The move aimed to harness the potential of their past successes in the Xfinity Series. According to NBC Sport, Greg Zipadelli, Chief Competition Officer for Stewart-Haas Racing, explained the thought process behind the decision, saying, “When we first moved him (Briscoe) over (to Cup), Chase, we contemplated whether we needed to move Richard with him just because they had a good relationship.”

However, their journey in the Cup Series hasn’t mirrored their Xfinity success. In a recent interview on the Eric Estepp show, Chase Briscoe candidly discussed the challenges they’ve faced. Eric asked Chase, “You and Richard Boswell, you guys have had success together back in the Xfinity Series. Does that familiarity … I don’t know … make that building process easier between you two?”

Briscoe remarked, “I think yes and no. You know, I think we both are confident in each other. We both know what we’re capable of. But at the same time, it is hard because I feel like we both expected to win right off the bat just because in the Xfinity series we were able to have so much success.”

He acknowledged that the transition to the Cup Series demanded a recalibration of expectations. Particularly for his experienced crew chief as he continued, “That’s the one thing I think that was hard for Richard truthfully was just I kind of had to drill into his head those first four or five weeks of how hard Cup racing is. You know, he didn’t understand why we were running 10th this run, and then we go to the back and we can’t get back up there. I’m like, that’s just how hard Cup racing is.

“And Richard is extremely competitive. So trying to keep him kind of calm down on those bad weeks. But then also appreciate the good weeks. [That] has been kind of the biggest I feel like, challenge for us. But from a car standpoint… I feel like we’re in a really good spot right now and I really do feel like we’re going to be running up front a lot more these last six seven weeks. And like I said, hopefully, next year we can really start off strong.” 

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Dale Jr, whose cameo driver has caused trouble to Tony Stewart’s young gun, has recently opened up about his desire to see NASCAR expand internationally.

Dale Earnhardt Jr is all for taking NASCAR to Canada and other international venues

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While the Cup Series schedule has its share of iconic tracks, not everyone is content with the status quo. Dale Earnhardt Jr, the NASCAR Hall of Famer, recently shared his thoughts on potential changes to the schedule during a discussion on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

Junior expressed a desire to see the Next Gen cars tested at various tracks, mentioning, “I really have a glaring desire to see a specific thing. I do like the idea of going to these racetracks or a lot of these racetracks just want to be able to try the Next Gen car at a place like Kentucky. Like the rumors, I’m hearing about a possible race in Iowa.”

Also, Dale Jr advocated for expanding NASCAR’s reach beyond US borders, emphasizing the importance of international races. He stated, “I love the idea of going to Canada in any way. Whether it’s Montreal or anything, right? To get in front of our fans up there across the border.” Earnhardt Jr.’s vision reflects a willingness to explore new avenues and provide fans with fresh and exciting experiences.

So, what are your thoughts on the challenges faced by Chase Briscoe and Richard Boswell? And would you like to see NASCAR race internationally? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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