Stewart-Haas Racing is presently trying to patch itself up after a cheerless 2023 season. Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola bid adieu to the Ford team, leaving it in shambles. In the post-Harvick era, Chase Briscoe, who is only in his third Cup year, suddenly found himself as the lead of the team. The onus is now on him to be the guiding light to his team members.

Briscoe suffered a winless season in 2023, achieving 4 top-fives and 8 top-tens. His teammates are not in a bright state either. Noah Gragson returned to the Cup races after a behavioral suspension. Josh Berry is relatively new to the scene, entering NASCAR’s top level for the first time. Ryan Preece also came off of a drab season. So, Briscoe must maintain confidence in his team.

Chase Briscoe has high hopes for SHR

Even though the Stewart-Haas Racing team went over a bad patch, what’s important is to look forward. Chase Briscoe, who thrust to the front of the team on a default basis, is living up to his duties as the leader. He recently spoke to Fox regarding his team’s aspirations after qualifying for the Pennzoil 400 race in Las Vegas.

Speaking to Bob Pockrass, he spoke on his team’s close-knit integrity: “it was really good in practice obviously. I would say that the big thing is, the 14 group, we didn’t lose anybody. We have the same people, you know the force is pretty much on the people…our group’s just really strong, confident those other guys will figure it out..”

However, Briscoe also admitted that some teammates are in a tight position, saying, “…And at the same time you know, they’re a lot less experienced. You know they’re trying to figure things out. Noah’s been out for a couple of months, just trying to figure out how these cars drive, and Josh is obviously new to the Cup Series, so. I think those guys will kinda get where we’re at.”

But then Briscoe topped it off with a badge of confidence against any haters. “For us, it’s definitely encouraging to have the speed of the fan, especially with all the doubters in the off-season for sure.”

Chase Briscoe swerved to a dismal 30th-place finish in Atlanta, after finishing 10th at Daytona. His eyes are now set on the Las Vegas race, where he has had mixed success earlier. His best Cup Series finish at Las Vegas was fourth in October 2022. To hone his skills as a driver, Briscoe has also adopted a second strategy, participating in more dangerous places. 

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Briscoe hopes to bank on dirt skills for Cup glory

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Chase Briscoe has a trick up his sleeve: a side job as a dirt racer. He grew up racing 410 sprint cars, understanding throttle control and track changes on a level not matched by other drivers. He seems to be following in the steps of his team owner, Tony Stewart, who also did dirt racing, launching his three-championship stock car racing career.

Kyle Larson also hops in a dirt car mid-week before attending a Cup race on the weekend. Briscoe got his chance to shine this year when Larson dropped out of The Chili Bowl, an indoor dirt race held in Oklahoma.

Briscoe also stressed how his dirt skills can help in Cup races. “A winged Sprint car feels like you’re running 300, 400 miles an hour. It’s just so fast, and you have to be able to process things so quickly. A winged Sprint car for sure feels like it slows down the Cup car.”

With some daredevil skills brewing behind the scenes, Chase Briscoe might surprise us with a hidden and brilliant side to him. He might just as well turn around his and Stewart-Haas Racing’s fortunes in 2024.