Tempers were flaring at the Cook Out Southern 500. Even though Chase Briscoe eventually emerged victorious at Darlington Raceway, there was some behind-the-scenes drama between the Stewart-Haas Racing driver and Austin Cindric during the middle of the race. Both drivers race under the Ford umbrella, and with a significant gap between the two in the middle of the race, Briscoe’s crew chief Richard Boswell expected assistance from Cindric’s No. 2 Ford Mustang. What followed was a fiery exchange with spotter Joey Campbell.

In NASCAR, teams with the same manufacturer traditionally help each other, especially when both drivers aren’t competing for track positions. The circumstances in the final race of the regular season were perfect for Austin Cindric to assist Chase Briscoe, and when the support didn’t come, it wasn’t well received by the No. 14 Ford Mustang crew chief.

Austin Cindric’s apathy makes Briscoe’s crew chief indignant

Chase Briscoe had a lot riding on the Cook Out Southern 500, as victory was his only chance of making it to the playoffs. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver showed lightning-quick speed all race and remained in contention to pull off a surprising result. However, with Kyle Larson ahead of him and looking more dominant than ever, it was clear that the 29-year-old driver would need some assistance. Even though 23 places separated the SHR driver from Austin Cindric, the two were relatively close to each other because of Darlington Raceway’s short track.

Given the circumstances, Briscoe’s crew chief Richard Boswell expected the Team Penske driver to play a support role and help his driver gain a track position. Speaking on the 14 radio, Boswell told spotter Joey Campbell, “Get us some help up there. This is two Fords; one is running 25th, one is running second“. In response, Campbell said, “Cindric always races like that. My brother spots for him; have you ever asked a brother or sister for a favor?“, highlighting the difficulty in asking a sibling for a favor. Boswell, who was frustrated by that point, couldn’t hide his anger and went on to say, “Go f****** punch him“.

It’s not uncommon for NASCAR teams to have alliances with each other, especially when they share the same manufacturer. Whether it’s technical collaborations, where resources are shared or simply helping each other on the racetrack as a gesture of goodwill. Stewart-Haas Racing’s expectations from Austin Cindric weren’t too far-fetched, as both teams race under the Ford umbrella, and victory at Darlington Raceway would have been beneficial to the manufacturer in the grander scheme of things.

However, it all worked out for Chase Briscoe, with or without Austin Cindric’s help. The Indiana native held off Kyle Busch in the closing laps of the race to secure an emotional victory at the Cook Out Southern 500. The result meant that the 29-year-old finally broke his 93-race winless streak in the Cup Series, and automatically secured a playoff berth for Stewart-Haas Racing in their last NASCAR season.

Briscoe recounts emotional victory at Darlington

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Few would have predicted Chase Briscoe to secure a victory at the Cook Out Southern 500. He raced like a true champion in the final 20 laps of the race, holding off a determined Kyle Busch to secure the second win of his Cup Series career. The battle between the two drivers was similar to their 2020 Xfinity Series clash at Darlington, in which Briscoe emerged victorious as well. With Stewart-Haas Racing ceasing operations by the end of the 2024 season, the result couldn’t have come at a better time for the driver.

Speaking in the post-race interview, a visibly elated Chase Briscoe said, “Last week was the most embarrassing race I ran of my life. I told Richard, I don’t even wanna talk about it. I promise you I will make it up to you next week. Taking this 14 car in Victory Lane. For all the 320 employees. To be able to race for a championship in the final year is unbelievable. The guys were so good. Slight deja vu with Kyle Busch in the Xfinity race here in 2020. I didn’t know if I was gonna be able to do it.”

With the playoffs starting at Atlanta Motor Speedway next week, Chase Briscoe has a lot to look forward to in the upcoming races. Could he give Stewart-Haas Racing a fairytale ending by winning the Championship? While the possibility seems unrealistic, few would have predicted that he would win at Darlington Raceway as well. Stranger things have happened in NASCAR, and if the 29-year-old can consistently perform as he did at the Cook Out Southern 500, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that he secure the elusive Cup Series title.

What are your thoughts about Chase Briscoe’s win at Darlington Raceway? Let us know in the comments!