Chase Briscoe’s stars changed near the end of June when he finally locked in the much-coveted seat at Joe Gibbs Racing. He will be filling in the shoes of Martin Truex Jr – an incredible achievement for the #14 driver indeed! However, the announcement has not been without controversy, as Briscoe may have inadvertently ruffled some feathers in the process. 

It was particularly his outfit choice while announcing the exciting news on X that drew major scrutiny from a Twitter account with just 2,800 followers. But hold on before you label this account as some random keyboard warrior because it’s not random at all. And don’t let the follower count deceive you. You’d certainly be blown away if you knew the name behind this account.

Chase Briscoe steps on the wrong toes and enrages Ford’s big name!

Chase Briscoe probably felt on top of the world, signing with one of the top teams in NASCAR. It’s quite a leap going from a team that’s struggling with pace, and not-so-great equipment to one which is contending for the championship in the front row. Therefore, he couldn’t wait to announce to the world what’s been cooking behind the scenes. But the way he did it, in hindsight, could have been better.

Briscoe donned a black t-shirt to share the thrilling news of his move to Joe Gibbs Racing. The t-shirt featured a handful of logos from the sponsor Bass Pro Shops’s logo, which was the most evident, and the Joe Gibbs Racing logo on the right and a pronounced Toyota logo on the left side. And well, that was enough to spark a controversy. The issue? Briscoe is still behind the wheel of SHR’s Ford Mustang, thus making their prominent display a disrespect to his current partners. 

Briscoe then found himself at the receiving end of a tweet by a user called Sweepstakes1901. He said, “And I thought he raced a Mustang until the end of the 2024 season?” But he gets plenty of comments. Why does this comment mean a big deal?

Well, Kevin Harvick revealed that the account belongs to none other than Edsel Ford II! Confirming on his podcast, Harvick said, “I’m pretty sure Sweepstakes1901 is Edsel Ford II. I think that’s kind of like his account on X. I mean, I feel like it’s common knowledge if you’re driving a Ford.” Edsel Ford II is the great-grandson of Henry Ford and, for the longest time, was seen as the face of Ford in NASCAR. So–he is a huge deal. It appears Briscoe’s decision to wear Toyota gear while still racing a Ford didn’t go unnoticed by him, and even Harvick sided with Edsel, criticizing Briscoe’s move. Harvick further provided an example of how driver transfers should be handled, implying Briscoe missed the mark.

Harvick shared, “To Edsel’s point, I think it’s a major fail on Chase’s part to have that Toyota logo on during the year. I know when we announced Josh Berry‘s stuff that he was coming to Stewart-Haas it was definitely, we made a point to make sure that he had a Stewart-Haas logo and that was it. And worked with JR Motorsports to make sure that they were OK with everything that was happening.

Briscoe’s choice to wear Toyota gear while driving for Ford indeed seems like a mistake. According to Harvick, small mistakes like this can damage relationships and burn bridges. In NASCAR, where there are only a few manufacturers, hurting one relationship can have big consequences. Therefore, Briscoe may have put himself in a tough spot by upsetting Ford.

Kevin Harvick hesitantly tries to reason Chase Briscoe’s controversial mistake

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Briscoe might have acted without fully thinking it through, but what about his team involved? It seems they all dropped the ball! While the damage is done, Harvick, although disappointed in Briscoe’s approach, sort of understands the situation He said, “I know in these situations that people can be frustrated and they can be at a point where they’re not happy and you get super excited about what you’re doing next.”

It’s been a while since Briscoe last won a race with Stewart-Haas Racing, so his excitement about the upcoming change is understandable. However, it’s important to handle the transition professionally. Even though his current team’s closure might make his departure seem less significant, angering influential figures like Edsel Ford II is still not a wise move.

Harvick also suggested that Briscoe’s decision was likely naive rather than bitter. “But I think it’s definitely a mistake by having that Toyota logo on before the season ended because of the fact that he still is a Ford driver, still in a Ford team, and I think there were definitely some things that were missed on Chase Briscoe’s part in doing that and having that logo on his shirt.”

Moreover, these changes will keep happening, and Briscoe might have to change teams again and navigate similar situations in the future. Hence, it’s crucial to draw the line of professionalism and make more conscious decisions to ensure all parties involved are happy with the transition. Moreover, reputations are at stake too, and now that he is on the radar for this scenario, it will go down the line and could very well impact his future endeavors. While it might seem like a small matter today, it might make a bigger impact tomorrow. As Harvick rightly said, “You want to go out on the right foot because you might have to cross that bridge again.”

What did you think about this emerging controversy of Briscoe? Let us know in the comments.