Chase Briscoe stepping from Stewart Haas Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing was seen as a big step in his NASCAR career. Ever since Briscoe entered competitive racing, he’s been a Ford guy, right from ARCA to Trucks to Xfinity and then the Cup Series. However, when you compare the racing programs of the two teams, there’s clear daylight on what JGR has to offer over SHR.

Frankly, Stewart Haas Racing wasn’t the powerhouse team it once used to be with the domination of the #4 team and Kevin Harvick. Ever since the turn of the new decade and the arrival of the Next Gen race car, SHR’s growth trajectory has spiraled in the wrong direction. This is evident from Briscoe’s four-year stint, where he could only bag two victories with the No. 14 team. Well, moving in with the premier Toyota team has its perks, and the former SHR driver quickly realized the things he was missing with his visit to the JGR shop.

Chase Briscoe appreciates all the perks of being a JGR driver

Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the few Cup Series teams that have been at the forefront of trying to crack the Next Gen code. They have racked up multiple wins, and Christopher Bell from the #20 team has made it to two of three championship races in the modern era. While the JGR shop has all the amenities like an engine room, an aerodynamic lab, simulation labs, and a gym, Briscoe was intrigued by driver development programs that are backed by data and statistics. This is something he missed during his days at SHR.

It was almost the case of him feeling like a kid in the candy store during his initial visits to the JGR team store. “Yeah, it’s been really really good. It’s just eye-opening, truthfully, how much they have at their disposal. Not only from a team standpoint, but there is for the drivers; the data they have to look at is just, truthfully, mind-blowing. So yeah, I’m super, super excited. I have been spending a lot of time over there (JGR Shop) typically two three days a week.” Briscoe said this while speaking on MRN’s podcast NASCAR Live.

Well, Chase Briscoe replacing Martin Truex Jr. was perhaps the worst-kept secret in the NASCAR garage. Thanks to Christopher Bell, who spilled the beans on the news, Briscoe had to be announced well in advance before the schedule. But, despite the dream move to JGR, he has been itching to get a feel for what it is to drive a JGR Toyota Camry. Something he hasn’t been able to do so far despite his frequent visits to the race shop.

“I’m looking forward to finally getting in the car; we’ve been talking about it and doing all these things and preparations. It will be nice to finally climb in and get started because I feel like we’ve been thinking about it and talking about it for so long. It’s going back to June when I signed; we’re finally getting to the point where now I’m like dying to climb in behind the wheel, so I’m looking forward to it.” The driver of the No. 19 car added.

Well, switching from SHR to Joe Gibbs Racing is indeed a huge cultural change. And surprisingly, Briscoe is starting to feel right at home with his new team with the presence of the leadership group at the shop. Again, this was something sorely missed during his time at SHR, and it does make a difference.

Briscoe is impressed by Coach’s involvement

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It was indeed odd to see a team once competing for titles and race wins become a mid-pack organization. Not long ago, SHR was part of the Big 4 equation alongside Team Penske, Hendrick Motorsports, and JGR. But the departure of Kevin Harvick and financial woes proved too much for the team to continue at the Cup Series level. Ultimately, the two co-owners, Gene Haas and Tony Stewart decided to go their separate ways and shut down the team after 2024.

NASCAR fans were infuriated by this decision and raised fingers at Smoke for neglecting the team and not being involved in day-to-day affairs. “I mean, I heard from the owner twice in two weeks, so that’s different.” This was Harvick’s assessment of how owners of the team seem to be disconnected from what’s going on within the team. And now Briscoe has backed this story, sharing his experience working at JGR.

“Like Gene Haas wasn’t there, and Tony wasn’t there, and not to their fault, they have other stuff going on. You know Coach is literally there every single day. Like I was there yesterday, and he is just walking around in the shop. He is so heavily invested, so heavily involved. I think that trickles down to the whole company, and culture starts at the top.” Briscoe explained.

With access to the resource pool and the expertise at JGR, there are certain expectations for Chase Briscoe going into the new season. Given his talent and JGR’s ambitious program, many fans would like to see him at least make it to the playoffs in his first year with the team. What are your expectations from Chase Briscoe in 2025?