SPEEDWAY, Indiana — In the days leading up to the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe experienced a rare moment of reflection about a potential victory at his home track. As he returned home from a simulator session the week before the race, Briscoe, a native of Mitchell, Indiana, had a sudden and unexpected thought about winning the prestigious event that gave him goosebumps.
The idea of a Chase Briscoe Brickyard 400 Win, a goal he usually doesn’t dwell on, captured his imagination, allowing him to picture crossing the finish line first and his emotional reaction over the radio.
“I’ve never really thought about winning a race before,” Briscoe admitted on July 25.
He continued to envision how he would celebrate, explaining,
“how loud I would yell on the radio. I normally don’t really get too worked up.”
A Deep Connection to Indiana’s Racing Heritage
Briscoe’s enthusiasm for winning at the Brickyard stems from his roots in Mitchell, a small Indiana town where racing legend Tony Stewart also grew up. Stewart’s two victories at the Brickyard, in 2005 and 2007, left a lasting impression on Briscoe, who sees a victory here as a way to cement his place among Indiana’s great racing figures.
The night prior to his pole-winning qualifying run, Briscoe found himself drawn in by old footage of Stewart’s 2005 win. Reflecting on this, Briscoe shared,
“You’re just watching his celebration and everything,”
“I just kind of put myself in that moment. As an Indiana guy it’s just different, like I don’t know how to explain it.”
This connection to past Hoosier champions deepened Briscoe’s motivation as he prepared for the race weekend.
Historic Pole Position Boosts Briscoe’s Ambitions
Chase Briscoe’s chances of earning his first Brickyard 400 win jumped significantly when he qualified on pole on July 26, edging out Bubba Wallace. This marked his fifth pole position of the season, solidifying a historic achievement as the first driver ever to claim the pole at the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Brickyard 400 all in a single campaign.
“The Daytona 500 one was cool, going three in a row was cool, but being able to set on the pole here is just so special,” Briscoe said after qualifying.
“I got out of the car, and hearing the crowd screaming – I don’t have that happen anywhere else.”
The pole win affirmed his strong performance on his home track and heightened the anticipation for Sunday’s race.
Embracing the Unique Pressure and Support of Indianapolis Fans
Despite the added attention, Briscoe insists that he does not feel pressure, but rather something more motivating when competing in Indiana. He credited previous Hoosier winners like Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman for demonstrating how hometown pride can unlock extra energy during the race.
“It honestly is not pressure,” Briscoe explained.
He elaborated on the crowd’s passion, stating,
“I think a lot of it is because of the Hoosier fan base gets behind you unlike anywhere else. There is no other race track that we go to, when I hear a driver from that state does the crowd go nuts. It is different in the state of Indiana, and for me to be that guy for the fans here, it is just really, really cool.”
Winning at the Brickyard would mean adding to a notable tally of victories by native and adopted Indiana drivers, who have won nine of the race’s 29 editions.
Deep Personal Connections Mark the Week Before the Race
In the days before the event, Briscoe balanced his race preparations with important personal moments, including a visit home to Mitchell on Tuesday and attending his sister’s wedding on Friday night. He also took time to tour the renovated Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, where he viewed artifacts like Stewart’s No. 20 car from the 2005 Brickyard 400 win.
“I took a picture of it, and I sent it to him and said ‘hopefully another Hoosier can win 20 years later,’” Briscoe recalled, referring to Stewart.
This act underscored Briscoe’s aspiration to join those Hoosier champions who have defined racing history at the Brickyard.
Planned Celebration Reflects Emotional Significance for Briscoe
Should Briscoe achieve his first-career Brickyard 400 victory, he already knows how he would celebrate the accomplishment in front of his home crowd. The win would be more than just a career milestone; it would be a deeply meaningful moment shared with family and fans.
“You would see all the stuff, all the stops,” he said.
“I’d be climbing the fence and stopping where my family was sitting (in turn 1) and doing all the things.”
For Briscoe, winning at Indianapolis would symbolize the fulfillment of a dream that originated in his hometown and was inspired by his racing idols.
