SHR’s Self Proclaimed Leader Could Be Tony Stewart’s Ultimate Redemption Card at COTA, Claims NASCAR Insider

Since day one, Stewart Haas Racing has been known for its fierce competition on every track, a reputation built largely on the backs of Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart. It’s not that the new drivers lack talent, but the team’s dominance used to be on a whole other level. Now, there’s a buzz from a NASCAR insider that the self-declared new leader at Stewart Haas Racing might just be the next big thing at COTA. And it’s not just insiders talking—Chase Briscoe himself believes he’s got an edge over the typical road course racers in NASCAR.

A NASCAR insider has spotlighted Chase Briscoe as a driver to watch out for at COTA

This Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, kicks off the first of five road-course races in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series. The track is known for its high-speed stretches and sharp changes in direction, especially between turns two and 10, reminding many of the Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel sequence at Silverstone in England. 

Navigating COTA will definitely take some road-course know-how. According to NASCAR insider Producer Tray, Chase Briscoe might pull it off skillfully. Stepping up as the new lead driver at SHR post-Kevin Harvick, he might be a bit of an underdog but has what it takes to make a splash at COTA.

He mentioned,  “I think we see our six different winners in his many races this season. A couple of long shots though even though I think the favorite’s going to win. Austin Cindric, he’s got a couple of top tens at COTA. Cindric is looking to turn things around. Very good start to the season a couple of bad weeks. And then another driver who is good at road courses could pull one of these off, Chase Briscoe. So, I think Kendrick and Briscoe, are good road racers. Those are the long shots I like, but ultimately as I said, I think top the at Circuit of the Americas.”

This Sunday’s COTA race will be Chase Briscoe’s fourth time hitting the asphalt in the NASCAR Cup Series. Back in 2021, during his first-ever Cup race on this 3.426-mile, 20-turn monster of a road course, Briscoe started 27th but clawed his way up to a sixth-place finish, which still stands as his top performance at COTA. His other runs ended in P30 in 2022 and P15 in 2023. With 19 road-course races under his belt in the Cup Series and five top-10 finishes at tracks like COTA, Road America in Elkhart Lake, Watkins Glen, the Charlotte Roval, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course, Briscoe’s record is nothing to sneeze at.

And talking about confidence, Briscoe himself reckons he’s got what it takes to excel on road courses, hinting that with a bit of luck on his side, he could be crossing the finish line ahead of the pack.

#14 noticed a significant improvement in his road course performance, a stark contrast to his earlier struggles

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With 11 starts on road courses in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the forerunner to the top-tier NASCAR Cup Series, Briscoe began carving out a name for himself in the racing world. His achievements on these challenging tracks, including two victories and eight top-10 finishes, have bolstered his confidence in handling the unique demands of road racing. He mentioned, “I feel like I’m above average road course driver. I’ve definitely had way more success in the lower series compared to Cup, where I’ve been kind of hit-or-miss. We’d run really, really good, or we were just off.”

Briscoe also shared that although he always enjoyed road course racing, he wasn’t exactly acing it from the start. But at some point, everything just fell into place, allowing him to bag a few wins on road courses. He even shared his secret sauce for success:

“It drove like a dirt track instead of a road course and felt like I was in a sprint car. I just tried to make sure the rear tires never spun. I had to give up a little time coming off the corner, but I’d make it back up on the straightaway, and that’s why I was always better at the end of the run.” 

Given his track record in the Xfinity Series with those 11 road course starts, Briscoe has shown he’s a force to be reckoned with. So, when the NASCAR insider tipped him as one to watch, it wasn’t without good reason.

Read More: Chase Briscoe and Erik Jones Claim “No Drama” as They Bury the Hatchet Ahead of Bristol