Chase Briscoe secured the pole position for the upcoming race at Nashville Superspeedway, marking a significant breakthrough in his career with Joe Gibbs Racing. His impressive Nashville Superspeedway pole performance comes after challenging years at the same track with a former team, highlighting a stark contrast in his current results.
Chase Briscoe’s Difficult History at Nashville Superspeedway
Before joining Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), Chase Briscoe faced numerous struggles at the 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway while driving for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). Over four races with SHR, his debut ended in a crash resulting in a 31st-place finish. Subsequent attempts saw finishes of 34th and 31st, with his best result being 21st in 2024. These performances reflected ongoing difficulty in finding competitive speed and consistency at the track.
Transitioning from SHR, which ceased operations in 2024, Briscoe now drives full-time for JGR. The switch has been transformative, as he described the #19 Toyota Camry XSE as the best car he has ever driven at Nashville Superspeedway. This advancement came through a car that offers superior grip, handling, and speed, enabling him to claim his third pole position of the season for the Cracker Barrel 400 weekend.
Reflections on Past Struggles and Current Performance
Recalling his difficult runs at Nashville, Briscoe shared candid thoughts about the impact of car performance on race outcomes. He explained how the characteristics of his previous vehicles simply didn’t align with the demands of this particular track.
“Truthfully, this is one of those places that your car is so important just from a car capability. In the past here, truthfully, my car just hasn’t been very good. It is just on top of the race track, not doing what you want it to do. I say it all of the time, but (Kevin) Harvick used to say – you can’t drive a slow car, fast. I came here today, and my first lap of practice – it was the best driving car of my life here. It just drives better, has better grip, turns better, goes faster. It just makes my job way easier.”
— Chase Briscoe, NASCAR Cup Series Driver
He further explained that the limitations he faced at SHR made it nearly impossible to compete at the front, emphasizing the importance of having a competitive car, especially on tracks like Nashville Superspeedway.
“Honestly, I think that is a lot of it. For whatever reason, at SHR (Stewart-Haas Racing), we just struggled really, really bad here. This is one of those tracks that I feel like you can’t really get a lot more out of it. Whatever it is, is what it is. You might be able to pick up a couple of positions, but you are not going to go from a 25th place car to leading the race. Just comes all down to car at this level, to a certain extent. Im in, arguably, one of the best cars every single week, so it makes my job a lot easier,”
— Chase Briscoe, NASCAR Cup Series Driver
New Opportunities with Joe Gibbs Racing
Since joining JGR for the 2025 season, Briscoe has seen a meaningful improvement in his race results. Teammate to Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin, he has collected multiple top-five finishes and maintained consistency in his performances. Despite these successes, Briscoe remains restless about the team’s overall capabilities, believing there is still untapped potential for better outcomes.
“I wanted just to win, truthfully. The top-fives are great, right? I think I’m only one behind my career high, ever, and we are 12, 13 weeks in, so from that standpoint, it is encouraging, but I want to win races….It is weird. We’ve had the results, but I feel like we have been so bad. I don’t even feel like we are close to our potential,”
— Chase Briscoe, NASCAR Cup Series Driver
Currently placed 11th in the Cup Series standings, Briscoe holds 314 points and has secured six top-ten finishes along with five top-five finishes in 13 starts. He also boasts three pole positions this season, underscoring his growing competitiveness with the new team.
Upcoming Cracker Barrel 400 Race Details
The Cracker Barrel 400 will take place on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at Nashville Superspeedway. The 300-lap, 399-mile event will be broadcast live on Amazon Prime, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90, starting at 7 PM ET. Briscoe’s pole position puts him in a promising spot to contend for a strong finish at one of the sport’s challenging intermediate tracks.
