After leaving Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), where he had the freedom to “do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted,” as he shared, Chase Briscoe’s 2025 season has been nothing short of a wild ride. But stepping into Truex’s shoes is no easy task. “There’s still definitely some little things that I’m still trying to get the feel for, and James (Smalls, Briscoe’s crew chief) is obviously still trying to figure me out as well,” Briscoe admitted, showing just how tough the transition has been.
Despite the challenges, he’s kept his chin up, even after a penalty hit his No. 19 team earlier this season. “Biggest points day of my career! We’re back!” Briscoe wrote. “In all seriousness thank you to NASCAR for giving us the option to show our evidence and huge thank you to everyone at (Joe Gibbs Racing) who put in countless hours to put everything together.”
At Bristol, a track he’s always loved, he showed flashes of brilliance. “After the green-flag pit stop, the car was phenomenal, truthfully. I felt like I could have been in the lead,” he boldly told after the race, hinting at his growing confidence. Adapting to JGR, where he said he’s finally figuring things out after the Bristol run. He was excited for the track’s unique events that blend racing with fun traditions like baseball-themed festivities. Now, let’s get to the moment that sparked all the chatter.
NASCAR reporter Jeff Gluck posted a poll on X asking, “Was Bristol a good race?” The results were telling—27,389 fans voted “No,” while only 6,904 said “Yes.” Clearly, the race didn’t impress the majority. That’s when Chase Briscoe chimed in with a bold suggestion: “Bring back the dirt,” he replied, referring to Bristol’s dirt racing experiment that ran from 2021 to 2023. His comment caught the eye of Chris Gabehart, a JGR insider who recently transitioned to competition director. Gabehart fired back with a playful roast: “I support him no matter what… but I won’t say he’s not crazy. .”
I support him no matter what… but I won’t say he’s not crazy.
— Chris Gabehart (@CG1751) April 14, 2025
The tweet lit up X, with fans loving the lighthearted jab. Gabehart’s comment poked fun at Briscoe’s idea, as Bristol’s dirt races had mixed reviews—some drivers, like Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman, even said, “They’re not dirt cars,” preferring the pavement, according to the Charlotte Observer.
Briscoe’s call to bring back the dirt isn’t just a random thought—it’s rooted in his history. He nearly won the Bristol Dirt Race in 2023, finishing strong and showing his skill on that surface. Dirt racing is part of his DNA, going back to his early days. A throwback moment from his 2016 ARCA Racing Series rookie year, where an X user posted, “#tbt, ARCA rookie @chasebriscoe before the season opener at Daytona in 2016. No sponsor, no money, just a chance to drive a race car given to him by Briggs Cunningham.” That year, Briscoe won six straight races, 18 top-10 finishes in 20 races, and the championship—a story of pure determination that propelled him to where he is today.
Despite the teasing, Briscoe’s sense of humor shines through in other moments. The hilarious post he made about Rory McIlroy’s Masters win. He also shared a joke from his personal life, “My reaction and feeling when the twins have two blown-out diapers and my wife tells me if I go get diapers and wipes, she will change them,” with a caption that left fans in stitches. And while he missed a season win in his first JGR campaign, he was praised for his “untapped winning potential” at Bristol, noting how he’s roaring to life on tracks that suit him.
So, where does Briscoe go from here? Will he keep pushing for NASCAR to revisit its dirt racing days, or will Gabehart’s playful jab make him rethink? One thing’s for sure—Briscoe’s passion, resilience, and ability to laugh at himself make him a driver one can’t take their eyes off. What do you think—should Bristol bring back the dirt, or is Briscoe’s idea as “crazy” as Gabehart says? But not as crazy as fate played with him when he was jumping ships.
Briscoe was the original choice for the Wood Brothers
The Wood Brothers Racing team, a NASCAR legend in its own right, had their eyes on Briscoe before landing Josh Berry for their No. 21 car in 2025. It’s a tale of choices, loyalty, and what could’ve been. Eddie Wood, team co-owner, spilled the beans on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour. “Ford had a relationship with Briscoe from way back,” he said. “We met with Chase first because that was the progression, but in the back of our minds, we wanted Josh.”
Wood said, “This year with [Crew Chief] Miles Stanley and Josh, it’s like they clicked at Bowman Gray stadium right off the bat. You could see that it’s like they’d been together for years, just right off the bat. It’s hard to get magic in racing. You got to put the right people with the right people. It seems like those two really just fit each other. It’s like they’ve been together forever.”
Briscoe, a Ford guy through and through, seemed like the perfect fit. But when talks didn’t pan out, the door opened for Berry, who later clinched a stunning win at Las Vegas. Jon Wood, another team leader, backed this up last July, saying they looked at Briscoe first due to his Ford ties. “I think Josh was the obvious choice,” he noted, but only after Briscoe’s path led elsewhere. Briscoe ended up with Joe Gibbs Racing, a powerhouse, but you can’t help but wonder how he felt being the first pick who didn’t make the cut.
Chase has faced hurdles—loose wheels at Las Vegas cost him big, and a sprained wrist from a Phoenix crash didn’t help. Yet, he’s a fighter, with a Truck Series win at Homestead in 2017 showing his grit. The Wood Brothers’ choice must’ve hurt, but Briscoe’s still chasing glory.
The post Joe Gibbs’s Insider Mocks Their Latest Recruit Over Lunatic Claim To Bring Back NASCAR’s Forgotten Ways appeared first on EssentiallySports.
