Stewart Haas Racing driver Chase Briscoe has made it to the Round of 12 in the playoffs. Out of all the drivers and teams, Briscoe from SHR wasn’t favored to reach this far. Heck, nobody could’ve imagined him making the playoffs in the first place. But he’s managed to do the impossible and is striving to end SHR’s NASCAR story on a high.
Although he feels good about his chances for a deep playoff run, the same cannot be said for his critics. Kevin Harvick ahead of the playoffs predicted that he would rather have Kyle Busch over drivers like Briscoe to make some noise. Having, cleared the first obstacle, the former SHR star has now gone on to make another bold claim. One that sees the #14 team crash out of the playoffs in the next round.
Such predictions can put teams or drivers off their plans, but for Briscoe, it’s a source of encouragement to prove his critics wrong. And going by his recent admission, the Indiana native is looking to pull off major upsets going forward.
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Do not count out Chase Briscoe and SHR in the playoffs
This isn’t the first time the driver of the #14 SHR Ford is having a solid playoff run. Back in 2020, after bagging his first Cup win, he made it to the Round of 8 and fell just short of making the championship 4. And it looks like he is scripting a repeat of that run this year, checking all the boxes.
In the first race, he crashed out with a DNF after colliding with Kyle Larson. But in the next two races, he regained his composure and delivered back-to-back top 10 finishes. Which was enough for him to progress. However, despite his team’s dedication and their deep run, they seem to never be in the conversation of real contenders.
Harvick on his podcast predicted the drivers he thinks will bow out in the Round of 12. “The 99, the 24, 14 and the 9.” Not sure if this made it to Briscoe, but he was disappointed in general to see his team not being a part of the title contenders. “I feel like definitely inside the industry right, we don’t get the respect of being one of the guys that can move on. Like everybody said that we were going to get out in the first round, we obviously advanced.”
“We know how strong we are right now and feel like everybody just kind of overlooks it, and we don’t get the respect sometimes compared to some of the other teams. So yeah, I think for us that is motivating, but I wish people probably take us a little more seriously and quit doubting as much as they do,” Chase Briscoe added.
The missed opportunity at Atlanta sees him starting the next round below the cutline. 7 points is the difference between him and the 12th-place driver. A lot can change in three races, even a single win would do the trick. But will Briscoe and the #14 team be able to continue this dream run?
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Statistics and past performances on the upcoming tracks doesn’t favor Briscoe
Ford’s in general are known to turn up during the playoffs. Ryan Blaney bagged the win at Atlanta, and Chris Buescher got his first win at Watkins Glen. Team Penske and RFK Racing, in general, are competing for race wins; it was only a matter of time before they turned up. But the same cannot be said for Chase Briscoe and SHR Ford teams.
Briscoe had to wait almost two years to get back in the victory lane. And while the format favors the idea of one win and you’re in, it’s just hard to see the #12 team pull the rabbit out of the hat again in the playoffs. Moreover, the upcoming racetracks aren’t Briscoe’s stomping ground. Starting off with Kansas, the SHR driver in his 7 starts has never finished a race inside top 10. His best was P13, which came during his strong playoffs run in 2022.
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Moving on, we have Talladega, a superspeedway track. Arguably the racetrack that can produce a wildcard winner. However, apart from a P4 result, Briscoe doesn’t really have consistent runs or solid performances to make his case for this year’s challenge. Last but not least, we have the Charlotte Roval, and a similar story unfolds here as well. At 14.4, this is his best average finish at Talladega, which is the highest of the three venues. Meanwhile, Kansas is his worst track with an average finish of 21.1.
Although Briscoe and the #12 team are motivated, their fairytale run just might come to an end after the completion of Round of 12.
