Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe was recently featured in a post-race interview with NBC Sports after securing his spot in the Championship 4. During the interview, Briscoe expressed disappointment that no JGR drivers clinched the Cup Series championship title this season.
Driving the #19 Toyota Camry XSE, Briscoe had a solid qualifying performance, earning a 12th-place start. His teammate, Denny Hamlin, secured the pole position at the one-mile track, finishing qualifying 0.22 seconds ahead of Briscoe. Despite their strong starting positions, neither driver was able to bring home the championship.
In the 312-lap race, Hamlin finished the initial stage in third place, while Briscoe came in tenth. Both drivers improved in stage two, with Hamlin taking the stage win and Briscoe moving up to seventh place. Hamlin, driving the #11 Toyota Camry XSE, led the most laps in the race — 208 laps in total. However, a critical decision during his final pit stop shifted the race’s outcome, paving the way for Kyle Larson’s victory.
Reflecting on the race, Briscoe commented, “I thought we were both certainly capable. This wasn’t our day. We’ll go into next year and see if we can do a little bit better. The season was big, just in the sense that you always think you can do it. You never really know if you can.”
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson clinched his second Cup Series championship this season. Meanwhile, Chase Briscoe finished the grueling 319-lap race in 18th place, and Denny Hamlin crossed the finish line in sixth.
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### Joe Gibbs Shares Why He Hired Chase Briscoe as Martin Truex Jr.’s Replacement
In September 2025, Joe Gibbs Racing team owner Joe Gibbs sat down with SiriusXM NASCAR radio for an insightful interview. He spoke candidly about his decision to hire Chase Briscoe as Martin Truex Jr.’s replacement in the #19 Toyota for the 2025 season.
Briscoe had previously competed for the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing team. When SHR ceased operations after the 2024 season, Briscoe found himself without a seat. Seeing an opportunity, Joe Gibbs Racing believed Briscoe was the perfect fit to take over the #19 Toyota.
Reflecting on that decision, Joe Gibbs told the media,
“That’s what I—Gosh, this is exciting, because we always talk about speed. If there’s one thing the 19 has, it’s speed. They’ve been, you know, I think six poles, more top fives, and our starting average for us is first. That car has showed speed. Now, if we could keep that going, then I think we got something that could make, make, make our time with Bass Pro, and our sport, something special for the 19 car going forward.”
Chase Briscoe definitely lived up to those expectations in the 2025 Cup Series season, logging three wins, 15 top-five finishes, 19 top-ten finishes, and seven pole positions.
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As the 2025 season wraps up, JGR looks ahead with optimism, hoping to build on the success and speed demonstrated by their drivers, especially Briscoe, in the upcoming seasons.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nascar/news-thought-certainly-capable-chase-briscoe-reacts-denny-hamlin-losing-nascar-title-kyle-larson