Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe earned the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, marking his sixth pole of the 2025 season. Briscoe will start at the front for Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350, further solidifying his status as one of the fastest drivers this year. His continued qualifying success has put him in a strong position to pursue his first race victory of the season at this track.
Briscoe Reflects on the Challenge of Turning Poles Into Wins
Despite the satisfaction of capturing pole after pole, Briscoe admitted the difficulty he faces in converting those front-row starts into race victories. He emphasized the value of starting up front, commenting on the advantages of earning stage points and securing a favorable pit stall. While winning poles consistently is rewarding, the frustration remains in not yet producing the desired race wins from those opportunities.
No. It’s definitely better than starting mid-pack. It’s getting old not converting them to race wins though, that’s for sure. Anytime you can lead the field to green it gives you the opportunity to get stage points and all those things like stage points and a good pit stall. Maybe they can change it where you win five poles you can trade it in for a race win or something (laughing). It’s been frustrating from that standpoint to be able to convert them. Qualifying on the pole means a lot to our entire race team.
— Chase Briscoe, Driver
Finding Speed: How Briscoe’s Cars Have Improved
Briscoe attributes much of his qualifying success this year to the overall speed and quality of his racecars. He noted that even earlier in his career at Stewart-Haas Racing, he often outperformed expectations in qualifying. Currently, the performance of his Joe Gibbs Racing machines has enabled him to post very fast lap times, a development he finds encouraging ahead of the upcoming race.
The racecars are really, really good. My entire career, even at SHR (Stewart-Haas Racing) we always seemed to exceed where we should probably qualify. It’s been probably my strongest thing. And now I’ve been getting in racecars that have helped me run really good lap times. Now my cars are faster and I’ve been running really fast lap times. It’s been fun to be able to do it today. I did not think it was going to be good enough. I got out and told my guys that it was going to be sixth or seventh and I was pleasantly surprised I was able to hang on. It was definitely encouraging for tomorrow.
— Chase Briscoe, Driver
Track Conditions at Iowa Speedway: From June’s Test to Race Week
After participating in a tire test at Iowa Speedway in June, Briscoe finds the track dramatically changed for race weekend. He described the circuit as faster and more challenging, with drivers using different racing lines higher on the track than before. The surface has gripped up substantially compared to the test sessions, presenting a fresh set of conditions to adapt to during practice and qualifying.
Briscoe noted the significant speed increase, saying his cars are running about eight-tenths of a second faster than during the earlier testing. He also expressed interest in potential future repaving to the track’s outer edge, which could open up more racing opportunities.
Expectations About Tire Wear and Race Strategy
Looking ahead to race day, Briscoe indicated that tire degradation does not seem to be a major concern based on the current data. He pointed out that cars have improved over time during runs, suggesting it will be a race where pit strategy and track position may play pivotal roles. Tire management might not dominate the race, making it a tactical contest for crews and drivers.
From what we saw today, there’s no real tire fall off. It seems like your car just keeps getting faster and faster and better from a driving standpoint. Who knows what it will do after 100 laps. I think tomorrow you’ll see different strategies because I don’t think tires are going to be that big of a deal. Track position or whatever you will do to get up there, two tires or fuel only, who knows. It’s definitely going to be crew chief race for sure I feel like.
— Chase Briscoe, Driver
Inspiration from Indiana: Following in Ryan Newman’s Footsteps
Briscoe, an Indiana native himself, has drawn comparisons to fellow Hoosier driver Ryan Newman for their shared talent in qualifying. Although the two have not discussed Briscoe’s recent pole dominance, he acknowledges the influence of Newman, known as “the rocket man,” on his perspective. Briscoe appreciates the confidence and pride that comes with being the fastest car on any given day.
I have not talked to Ryan. There must be something in the water there in Indiana. It’s cool though, I remember as a kid watching the rocket man dominate and winning pole after pole after pole. It’s neat to kind of be that guy now. There’s definitely a lot of confidence that goes along with that being in the racecar. Even the team guys, there’s a ton of pride when you could lay your head down at night and know you are the fastest car that day. There’s just a tone that comes along with that. It’s been really neat to do that. I have no idea how many Ryan ended up getting in a year, but it would be cool just to be on the same level as him in anything because he was really good at it.
— Chase Briscoe, Driver
Toyota’s Strength at Iowa and Its Effect on the Race
The strong performance shown by Toyota cars during practice sessions and qualifying bodes well for the team’s prospects on race day. Briscoe highlighted the manufacturer’s recent consistent speed across various tracks, which has provided his team with confidence in competing for playoff points and wins. The ability to start at the front is a crucial advantage for their race strategy.
It’s definitely important. For us it’s trying to maximize playoff points, so starting up front puts you in a really good position to win that first stage. It’s going to be something we are going to need to try and do. The Toyota’s are fast everywhere we go, it doesn’t matter what kind of racetrack. It feels like we’ve hit our stride here as a manufacturer the last month or two and hopefully we can continue that.
— Chase Briscoe, Driver
A Track That Rewards Front-Row Starters Like Briscoe
Iowa Speedway has proven to be a favorable venue for drivers who qualify well, and Briscoe has consistently adapted to changes at this circuit. He pointed to his familiarity with the track’s unique characteristics, including the challenging bumps in turn 1, as a factor in his success. Holding the pole position increases his chances of converting a strong qualifying run into a race win.
This has been a place that’s been really good to me. It does drive totally different, but there are still some things you can do here that we used to do here before they repaved it. Just especially on how you can get into turn 1 with the bumps. It’s nice, even with the racetrack change I’ve still been able to be decent here because it has been a great track for me. I was glad I was able to carry some of that over to be able to win the pole here and have a chance to win in a Cup car here tomorrow.
— Chase Briscoe, Driver
Starting at the Front Is Vital in a Difficult Passing Environment
Briscoe stressed how crucial it is to start near the front at Iowa, especially given the close competition and limited tire falloff. He recalled a practice incident where he was stuck behind Christopher Bell, limiting his ability to post faster times. This experience sharpened his focus during qualifying, helping him secure the pole position.
Everywhere we go it’s important to start up front for track position, but especially after practice just seeing how tight the times were and no tire fall off really. It’s going to be hard to pass, I know Christopher (Bell) pulled out in front of me in practice and I was stuck behind him, I had nothing else I could do. That kind of just flipped the switch and start focusing on what I needed to do in qualifying. Practicing behind him just technique wise was there something I could do to make up a little bit of time and obviously I was able to make it work.
— Chase Briscoe, Driver
Unique Pit Road Layout Presents Challenges Despite First Pit Stall
Although Briscoe will have the coveted first pit stall position, Iowa’s pit road is notably different from many other tracks due to its sharp corner near the stall area. This layout requires extra care from both the driver and pit crew, as the tight turn limits visibility and complicates typical pitting routines. Briscoe acknowledges these elements will make pit stops particularly challenging on race day.
This is a very unique pit road. We do have some that have a corner to it with the turn at the end of pit road where you are bumping up your RPM. This is one of the more extreme corners. I don’t know if I’ve been in the first stall here, but I know it’s really blind and such a tight turn around the corner and you can’t really see where your turn-in is if you are in the first stall. When you are in stalls four through nine, it’s really easy to get lost. It will definitely be a challenge tomorrow. It will be tough for the pit crew guys too because the angle of the car coming in. All those things you get as an advantage of pit stall 1 you have to take it, but it changes things when you pit in a corner from your typical routine because everything is different. It will be a challenge for us tomorrow.
— Chase Briscoe, Driver
Playoff Points Drive Strategic Focus for Briscoe and Team
Briscoe and his crew chief James Small prioritize accumulating playoff points as they contend for a championship spot. The two have discussed the importance of stage wins and race victories, both of which provide valuable points that can ease challenges in later playoff rounds. Currently, Briscoe sits just 17 points behind Ryan Blaney for seventh place in the standings, making each opportunity to gain points critical for his championship aspirations.
It’s something James (Small, crew chief) and I have talked a lot about. As a race team we feel like we are a championship four contender with the speed we have right now. But with the playoff grid it’s really top heavy, but the rest of the field only has five or seven points. Even if we can get just a couple of playoff points with a stage win, but especially a race win where you can get five extra points is a huge deal right now. It’s something that’s definitely on our mind. We are 17 points behind (Ryan) Blaney for seventh in points, so that’s another thing we are focused on right now. The biggest thing for right now is to get as many playoff points as we can so you can get through the Round of 16, you can get through the Round of 12 with that deficit we are at. But when you get to the Round of 8, if you have a 20 or 30 point deficit it’s so hard to do anything. It’s extremely important for us right now.
— Chase Briscoe, Driver
Briscoe’s Relationship with Crew Chief and Engineered Performance Gains
The teamwork between Briscoe and crew chief James Small has been instrumental in recent improvements, particularly on qualifying days. Briscoe appreciates how James and the engineering staff have better understood his preferences and needs, leading to enhanced car setups and stronger results. This collaboration has helped Briscoe outperform some of his Toyota teammates on tracks less dependent on aerodynamic and mechanical grip.
Yeah, more so than on the 1.5-mile track where aero and mechanical grip doesn’t play as big of a role. I feel like James and the engineers on the No. 19 crew have done just a really good job, especially these last two months, of understanding what I want and what I need out of my racecar. I’ve noticed a switch with James over the last two or three weeks where it’s gone from you need to be doing this different to we got to get the car better for you now. They’ve started to understand me more and the performance has been better. I think James has done such a good job of understanding what I need when it comes to Saturday in qualifying. He worked harder than anyone in the field and it shows.
— Chase Briscoe, Driver
