Briscoe’s victory gives Ford something to shout about in Next Gen’s latest success story.
Chase Briscoe became the 200th Cup Series winner in NASCAR history the old-fashioned way on Sunday in Phoenix: He raced his way from sixth on the grid into the lead with 82 laps remaining, then endured two late-race cautions, a pair of crucial restarts, and drove flawlessly holding off a handful of former champions for his first victory in 40 starts.
“I was crying the whole last lap,” said the 27-year-old Indiana native. “I mean, this is definitely a team win. I’ve got to thank everyone who’s gotten me to this point. Seven years ago, I was sleeping on couches, ready to give up. They gave me an opportunity and it’s led to this.”
“I was crying the whole last lap.”
Briscoe came to NASCAR through the usual paths: a handful of Camping World Truck starts for Brad Keselowski, two successful Xfinity seasons with Jack Roush and Fred Biagi, and the last two Cup Series seasons in the No. 14 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing. He has done well at every stop: 2017 Camping World Rookie of the Year, 2019 Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year, and the Cup Series ROTY last year.
“I’m so blessed to be driving at the organization, the team, the car of the driver (Tony Stewart) who was my hero growing up. To get this 14 back in Victory Lane, to do it with Mahindra Tractors, their first year in the sport, everybody that’s believed in me. It’s unbelievable.”
By “old-fashioned” we mean no radical pit strategy that put him in the lead or kept him there. No shenanigans with the choose line on restarts. No untoward “bump-and-run” driving tactics. Nothing but a straightforward effort certain to be praised by team-owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas – wherever they were for the big moment.
Briscoe is this season’s second breakthrough winner after fellow Ford driver Austin Cindric won the Daytona 500. On Sunday, Briscoe’s closest pursuers at the checkered flag were Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick, neither of whom has ever won a race. Pole-winner Ryan Blaney was fourth, then former Cup Series champions Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Joey Logano. Daniel Suarez and Chris Buescher completed the top-10.
Are you kidding me?!?! pic.twitter.com/bEv8au7sKu
— Chase Briscoe (@ChaseBriscoe_14) March 14, 2022
Blaney dominated the 312-lap, 500-kilometer race. He led five times for 143 laps, but lost his advantage with a bad pit stop at lap 221 and never fully recovered. Chase Elliott challenged Briscoe in the latter laps, closing to within a few lengths with 25 to go. But he spun while coming up through traffic and finished 11th. All told, he led three times for 50 laps before fading at the end.
Phoenix was another three-race weekend for NASCAR. The ARCA/Menard Series raced on Friday night and the Xfinity Series raced on Saturday night.
ARCA
Taylor Gray, just 16 and a rising star at David Gilliland Racing, won the ARCA Menard General Tire 150 ahead of David Dye and pole-winner Sammy Smith. It was a bittersweet victory for the team, which lost its hauler driver, 54-year-old Steven Stotts, in a Tuesday pre-dawn highway crash near Longview, Texas. Hauler co-drivers John Zaverl and Michael Mizzelle were treated and released from a nearby hospital.
Gray, younger brother of former NHRA Pro Stock champion and NASCAR racer Tanner Gray, led three times for 43 of the 154 laps as the 150 went overtime. He led the first 16 laps, 10 more near midway, then the final 17 for his first ARCA Menard Series victory in 24 career starts.
Xfinity Series
On Saturday, Noah Gragson won the Xfinity Series United Rentals 200 over Brandon Jones, Josh Berry, and pole-winner Trevor Bayne. His 2.5-second margin of victory came after Gragson led seven times for 114 laps, including the final 15. It was Gragson’s sixth career victory, all for JR Motorsports.
NASCAR returns closer to its roots this weekend. Both the Camping World Trucks (208 miles) and the Xfinity cars (251 miles) race on Saturday afternoon. The Cup Series will go 500 kilometers (312 miles) miles on Sunday afternoon.
NASCAR Cup Series Race
18th Annual Ruoff Mortgage 500
Phoenix Raceway
1. (6) Chase Briscoe, Ford, 312.
2. (17) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 312.
3. (12) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 312.
4. (1) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 312.
5. (15) Kurt Busch, Toyota, 312.
6. (16) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 312.
7. (11) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 312.
8. (10) Joey Logano, Ford, 312.
9. (23) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 312.
10. (26) Chris Buescher, Ford, 312.
11. (19) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 312.
12. (5) Aric Almirola, Ford, 312.
13. (2) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 312.
14. (9) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 312.
15. (21) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 312.
16. (25) Cole Custer, Ford, 312.
17. (28) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 312.
18. (3) William Byron, Chevrolet, 312.
19. (33) Todd Gilliland #, Ford, 312.
20. (29) AJ Allmendinger(i), Chevrolet, 312.
21. (13) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 311.
22. (27) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 311.
23. (18) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 311.
24. (8) Austin Cindric #, Ford, 311.
25. (14) Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 311.
26. (4) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 310.
27. (22) Michael McDowell, Ford, 310.
28. (36) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 310.
29. (24) Harrison Burton #, Ford, 309.
30. (31) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 308.
31. (32) Cody Ware, Ford, 307.
32. (35) Garrett Smithley, Ford, 305.
33. (34) BJ McLeod, Ford, 304.
34. (7) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Engine, 239.
35. (20) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, Accident, 219.
36. (30) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, Accident, 45.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 100.339 mph.
Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 6 Mins, 34 Secs. Margin of Victory: .771 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 8 for 52 laps.
Lead Changes: 14 among 6 drivers.
Lap Leaders: R. Blaney 1-27;K. Larson 28;J. Logano 29-32;C. Briscoe 33-51;W. Byron 52-63;K. Larson 64;R. Blaney 65-121;C. Elliott 122-132;R. Blaney 133-189;C. Elliott 190-224;R. Blaney 225;C. Elliott 226-229;C. Briscoe 230-287;R. Blaney 288;C. Briscoe 289-312.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Ryan Blaney 5 times for 143 laps; Chase Briscoe 3 times for 101 laps; Chase Elliott 3 times for 50 laps; William Byron 1 time for 12 laps; Joey Logano 1 time for 4 laps; Kyle Larson 2 times for 2 laps.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 24,14,9,8,48,20,5,4,22,3
Stage #2 Top Ten: 12,9,4,24,5,8,1,14,3,22
Keyword: How Chase Briscoe Scored His First Cup Series Win at Phoenix