At first, the Darlington race looked like another Kyle Larson show. After all, he led more than 250 laps of the 367. However, Larson knew there was a looming threat from Chase Briscoe, who was showing his driving prowess. Then magic happened with just 26 laps to go. When Briscoe was in P4, NASCAR saw a sheer display of skill, Briscoe going three wide, sprinting past the top three to take the lead. And finally, take the chequered flag!

The win enabled Chase Briscoe to take the last playoff berth in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series. The win is even more special because it came on the iconic Darlington. A crown jewel of NASCAR, “The Lady in Black,” the track, “Too Tough To Tame.”  No further explanation is required to understand the grandeur of Darlington. Recently, Briscoe was in conversation with Dale Earnhardt Jr., where the former explained why winning there is such a big deal.

Chase Briscoe on the importance of winning the crown jewel

The Darlington Raceway is renowned for its high speeds, unforgiving nature, and potential for costly mistakes. Despite its relatively short length of 1.366 miles, even experienced drivers can find themselves scraping the walls, earning the infamous “Darlington stripe.” A testament to the track’s unforgiving reputation. If you saw the race, you would remember Briscoe getting a Darlington stripe during his epic battle with Kyle Busch at the end. When his car slightly scrapped the wall!

Briscoe’s win did not come easily. Followed by the three-wide move, he had to fend off the two-time Cup Series champion. In the last 17 laps, the broadcast showed the race through the #8’s dash cam. You could feel what Busch was going through as he was trying to catch Briscoe.

However, the #14 fought gallantly yet again in a Déjà vu of his 2020, Xfinity race victory at Darlington. They both had a similar nerving battle to the finish. All these things make the victory more special. On the latest episode of the Dale Jr. Download, Junior asked Briscoe, “Why do drivers want to win at Darlington more than most other racetracks?”

To which the Stewart-Haas driver said, “I feel like just Darlington, you know especially inside the industry and especially among the drivers like there’s just a respect that comes with if you’re able to win at that place. Because they can’t discount you know the talent and the ability you have if you can win at Darlington. Like there’s no way to cheat your way into winning a Darlington.” Righty said it is a track where a driver has to be consistent for the entirety of the 500 miles. A small mistake can be detrimental.

“It’s just a challenging racetrack is probably the hardest track that we go to from just a mental standpoint, even a physical standpoint. You have to run 500 miles a quarter of an inch off the fence and it’s just a really challenging track,” Briscoe further added. According to him, conquering the challenges there is followed by immense respect from your peers.

Many, including Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, lauded him for his performance. In response, he said, “It’s just a super gratifying win just because of the respect honestly that comes with and whenever you can win there just you know the guys in the garage, all kind of just look at you a different way I feel. That’s definitely going to help my confidence going forward.” The #14 would be even more confident after defeating the 63-time Cup Series race winner Kyle Busch. Further in the conversation, Briscoe talked about what went on in that epic chase.

How did Chase Briscoe keep Kyle Busch at bay?

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You have got to feel it for Kyle Busch, first a P2 at Daytona and then a 2nd position finish at Darlington. Two close chances were missed by the veteran driver. He failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2012. First Harrison Burton defending against him and now Chase Briscoe, and everyone knows that is no easy job, even so when Busch is desperate for that win.

Here is what Briscoe did when he saw a fast-approaching #8 car in his rear-view mirror, In his own words, “I was like I’m just going to save my tire and just leave a little bit on the table well then as soon as Kyle Bush got to second I my mindset kind of changed right away. I need to run as hard as I can and just try to build as much of a gap um just because I knew my tires were at a little bit of a deficit and I’d be lying if I said with 15 to go I didn’t think I was potentially beat. just seeing how quick he was running me down “

Although Briscoe had been in this situation before, he knew exactly what needed to be done. He said, “It was a lot like Déjà vu with, you know, the Xfinity race me and Kyle had there in 2020. I was super loose, then he was running me down. And honestly, that experience made it where I was not nervous at all Sunday night um because I had been in that position that literally that exact position before where I felt like the world was on my shoulders,” Briscoe added.

The timing of Briscoe’s win could not have been more perfect. With SHR closing down at the end of the 2024 season, this gives them one last chance to fight for the championship. Do you think Briscoe can pose a threat to the chances of Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, or other championship contenders? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.