Imagine having your childhood hero pick you to do your dream job. The feeling of meeting him and realizing he was worth the hype. For one SHR driver, it became a reality. And, not just that, he got to ride his hero’s car. What more could you ask for? Well, Tony Stewart gave more than this to Chase Briscoe, who, as a child, had Tony Stewart’s poster in his room.

In 2020, Chase Briscoe told the media that his expectation in the Xfinity Series next year was winning 8-10 races. He told them that if he didn’t, his career might as well be over. He won nine races that year and silenced any doubters. In September, he was called by Tony Stewart at 11:30 in the night to be promised the opportunity of his dreams.

Chase Briscoe’s race to be in the number 14

Chase Briscoe’s career has been a fairytale story. The Indiana native grew up idolizing ‘Smoke’ and his iconic #14 car. Teenage Briscoe witnessed in awe as his idol broke Jimmie Johnson’s 5-year championship streak for his third Cup Series title in 2011. In November this year, Briscoe posted a throwback video from 2002 on his Instagram with the caption, “Practically every day I’d wear my Tony Stewart Home Depot uniform and helmet and play Dirt Track Racing Sprint Cars on the computer, fun times.”

It’s clear Briscoe loved Stewart, and on the Dinner with Racers Podcast, he elaborated on how their relationship came to fruition. “For me, the 14 was like the goal,” Chase Briscoe said. Tony Stewart donned the iconic #14 car during his 2011 championship run with Stewart-Haas Racing. Briscoe was eyeing a shot at keeping the legacy of his favorite driver alive, and the opportunity landed on his plate after a ton of hard work.

He recalled how he got to drive for Stewart Haas in Xfinity and felt like that was it and nothing else could make things better than that. “I called my parents being like ‘My career is done’,” recalled Briscoe. However, the desire to drive the #14 was deep in his heart and little did he know, his idol had everything planned out.

After his successful Xfinity campaign in 2020, Briscoe said that Tony Stewart told him in September over a call, “I know you are probably some phone calls from a lot of different people. You have been doing a really good job. I want to let you know that the 14 car is going to be yours. I don’t know if it’s gonna be next year, but if not, the following year, I can assure you, 1000%, it’s yours.” But the plot twist here is that it was either him or Larson who could move to Hendrick Motorsports. Things were hanging in the balance.

“Everybody didn’t know if Larson was going there… I was kinda under the impression if he goes SHR I was potentially going to Hendrick.” Kyle Larson was coming hot off an impressive Cup Series stint with Chip Ganassi Racing. The California native finished amongst the top 10 in the driver’s standings for four consecutive years. It’s no surprise that Hendrick Motorsports was looking to usher him in to replace Jimmie Johnson, who retired from full-time racing in 2020.

Briscoe said, “Tony’s like, hey, look, I don’t know what we are going to do, but like, that’s yours. Just stick with me. Like even if you have to run another year Xfinity, I promise you the 14 car is yours.” For obvious reasons, that made Briscoe rest easy. But something even better was in store for Briscoe. His hero was about to show that he was a hero for a reason.

“Fast forward a month, and Tony calls me. He’s like, ‘I really want your wife to come with you to the house up in Indiana… I want your parents to come. I want everybody to come because we are trying to sway them in the direction of going Cup racing.’ He’s like, ‘We need their help if we’re going to do that’,” This was Tony Stewart asking Briscoe to convince his sponsor Highpoint.com to sponsor Cup races as well. Little did Briscoe know Stewart had a surprise up his sleeve. Stewart ensured Briscoe’s family made the trip and then dropped the biggest news of his career so far.

“Tony says ‘It’s a special night. You know you only get told you are going to Cup for the first time once. And, I want to make sure all the people important in your life are here.’ There was a hidden camera here. He had planned this whole thing,” Briscoe added. In true ‘Smoke’ fashion, Stewart pulled a prank on Briscoe and was surprised with the news of his confirmed Cup Series seat for 2021. “I couldn’t fathom what he was saying… I got told by my hero that I was going Cup racing,” added Briscoe.

While his Cup Series journey with SHR was short-lived due to the team shutting shop in 2024, Briscoe gave them a memorable send-off. At the Southern 500 in 2024, Briscoe drove the #14 to victory lane for one last time as a SHR driver. This secured the team’s legacy and gave them a shot in the playoffs in their final-ever season. Despite his fairytale story so far, Briscoe was on the brink of leaving SHR back in his Xfinity days.

The one-time SHR almost slipped from Briscoe

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In 2019, Chase Briscoe faced significant challenges as a race car driver. He was coming off an Xfinity season, winning only one race and learning that he might not have a future with SHR. Briscoe needed to secure a sponsor for his car and he needed to do it in a week. He recounted this pivotal moment on the Dinner with Racers podcast, and what followed was a hilarious moment of coincidence that turned to be career-saving.

While in Las Vegas, Briscoe’s father encountered a fan who recognized his son’s car number, 98, on his hat. This fan was none other than Mike Mendiburu, CEO of Highpoint.com. He offered his support after expressing admiration for Briscoe and his values. Initially hesitant about sponsoring a race car, Mendiburu was persuaded by SHR to reconsider, as they detailed how crucial his assistance was for Briscoe’s career.

“SHR is talking to him… look, let me just paint a picture for you. Pretty much if you don’t do anything, Chase’s career is over… We know you probably think what NASCAR costs. Ford is not one to pay the whole bill. If we get anything, that can make a huge difference in this kid’s career,” said Briscoe. Mendiburu ultimately decided to step in, saying it felt like he was being led to do so by ‘God’. This intervention proved vital, as Briscoe thrived during the 2020 season, winning nine races in the Xfinity Series, and by 2021, he advanced to the Cup Series, earning the title of Sunoco Rookie of the Year.

What do you think about Briscoe’s tryst with destiny?