Every weekend that passes, the NASCAR Cup Series inches closer to the all-important playoffs. Chase Briscoe is struggling, trailing 83 points behind Ross Chastain for the coveted 16th and final playoff spot, and during the race weekend of the Cook Out 400, the driver has revealed his brutally honest thoughts on whether he’ll get there.
“Once the playoffs start, I would say everybody’s gonna try to stick it out at least, see if we make the playoffs. But after that, I would say it’s gonna get tough especially when you get to October,” he revealed to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports (below).
Operating under the pressure of not only having to win, but also of the Stewart-Haas Racing team shutting down before he heads to Joe Gibbs Racing next year, Briscoe’s strategy for the rest of this season leans heavily on aggression and taking the risk that could give him the results he needs.
“So far, everything’s still good, at least 14 wise. Everybody’s sticking to the end but the morale I would say will all depend on if we make the playoffs or not.
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“From a company standpoint, we need at least once car in there, so we got a really good opportunity I feel like this weekend with all of our cars and hopefully one of us can get it,” he said.
The Indiana-born driver’s results have been mixed this season with six top-10 finishes, including a near-miss second place at New Hampshire. However, recent performances have seen him finishing 21st or worse in three of his last four races—a trend he desperately needs to reverse. The urgency is strong, especially with his eyes set on the upcoming Cook Out 400 at Richmond, where he will start 25th.
It’s time for the driver to make sure no stones are left unturned, with him ready to take on a new level of aggression:
“Just win, right,” Briscoe asserted. “More speed would be the biggest thing. I feel like these next four tracks are all good opportunities. Michigan is the one I’d say is a little more nerve-wracking for us, but the good thing is — good and bad thing is we’re kind of in a must-win. We can kind of just throw Hail Mary’s at it and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work out. There’s no kind of penalty for it. If it does work out, then obviously we’re in a really good position. We’ll be really aggressive.”
This weekend will be important for the driver. Another race of misfortune and the confidence levels of the team may dwindle at a time when they need to be strong. But with the team coming to an end this season, they’ll want nothing more than to end on a high note.