After a substantial (and self-inflicted) mistake during the final set of green-flag pit stops in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway, the fate of The Great American Getaway 400 rested in the hands of Chase Briscoe.
With just 42 laps remaining in Sunday’s event, Briscoe brought his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE down pit road for the final time but floored it out of his pit stall before the gasman was able to put enough fuel in the Joe Gibbs Racing machine.
The Mitchell, Indiana-native was able to secure the race-lead after a caution was displayed (for a spinning Shane Van Gisbergen) with 34 laps to go, but Briscoe found himself three laps short of being able to make it to the end – meaning he would have to save enough fuel to run another 7.5 miles.
Desperate to put himself, and Joe Gibbs Racing, in Victory Lane, Briscoe went into maximum fuel save with the help of crew chief James Small and managed to get his Bass Pro Shops-sponsored entry to the finish with fuel to spare – without forfeiting the lead to Denny Hamlin, who was breathing down his neck for the victory.
“It was a lot [of pressure],” Briscoe told Marty Snider post-race. “It was kind of weird. I wasn’t driving hard. It’s not like I was on the ragged edge. It was so hard to have a guy chasing you, right, probably the guy that’s the greatest of all-time here, trying to save fuel and everything else.”
RACE RESULTS: The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono
It’s the third NASCAR Cup Series victory for Chase Briscoe, but his first as the driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing. It’s a big weight off the shoulders of the 30-year-old driver, who is now locked into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs for 2025.
“To get [Joe Gibbs] in Victory Lane after, like I said, them taking a chance on me, it’s so rewarding, truthfully,” Briscoe said. “Just a big weight off my shoulders. I’ve been telling my wife for the last two weeks; I have to win. To finally come here and do it, it has been a great day.”
Briscoe was able to hold the top spot over his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, who has secured seven victories throughout his career at Pocono Raceway. Hamlin has now started and finished inside the top three in each of his last three NASCAR Cup Series starts.
Ryan Blaney was unable to follow up his victory at Pocono from last season but was in the thick of the battle in the closing laps, finishing in third place. Chris Buescher had a solid afternoon and came home in fourth, with Chase Elliott rounding out the top five.
John Hunter Nemechek picked up a second consecutive finish of sixth place, after another stellar run at Pocono Raceway. Kyle Larson was seventh, with Ryan Preece in eighth, Brad Keselowski ninth, and Austin Cindric rounding out the top 10.
The race featured a total of nine leaders for 11 lead changes on the afternoon, with Chase Briscoe leading the field with 72 of 160 laps led, including the final 34 circuits around Pocono.
Leaving Pocono, and the end of the five-race Prime Video broadcast slate, William Byron continues to hold the regular-season points lead over Kyle Larson, with a margin of 54 points. Denny Hamlin is third, with Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott inside the top-five.
Next for the NASCAR Cup Series is the start of the in-season tournament at Atlanta Motor Speedway, an event that will take place on Saturday, June 28 at 7:00 PM ET on TNT Sports and HBO Max, with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
