Why Chase Briscoe's season stats signal a legitimate title threat

Chase Briscoe is no longer just a quiet presence in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is proving to be a genuine title contender with his second straight Cook Out Southern 500 victory on Sunday.

Briscoe led 309 of 367 laps at Darlington Raceway and secured a Round of 12 spot in dominant fashion. He became the first driver since Greg Biffle in 2005 to win back-to-back at the 'Lady in Black.' After holding off Tyler Reddick in the tense final 20 laps, Briscoe said the win reflected the team's expectations.

"I think this is definitely what we're capable of doing. We haven't been able to go out and dominate a race like that. The potential has been there from day one," Briscoe said post-race.

That potential was building all season, and it might finally be peaking at the right time as the NASCAR playoff picture takes shape.

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A season that proves Chase Briscoe belongs at JGR

Chase Briscoe with team owner Joe Gibbs before the Daytona 500. Source: Imagn

Taking over the No. 19 car from Martin Truex Jr. came with heavy expectations, but Chase Briscoe and his team have already delivered. In his first regular season with Joe Gibbs Racing, he has six poles, two wins, and 11 top fives.

Briscoe ranks third overall in laps led (628) and average finish (13.2), and has the best average starting spot of 10.0 in the Cup Series. It is solid enough to keep him inside contention week after week. The transition from Stewart-Haas Racing to a powerhouse like Gibbs wasn’t instant. Briscoe admitted the learning curve was steep in the spring (via Cup Scene):

"The expectation was to go and contend for wins and hopefully battle for a championship. I would say it definitely was harder than I anticipated the first 10 weeks… I was learning the race cars and just how different they drove that it definitely took a little more time than I expected. But I felt like tonight is definitely what we're capable of kind of week in and week out if we just do our job and perform," said Briscoe (5:33 onwards).

Briscoe's consistency has turned him into one of the most consistent drivers in the field. What keeps him from being a runaway favorite are the underlying numbers. He was seeded eighth by NASCAR Insights coming into the playoffs with 10th in passing, 14th in defense, ninth in speed, 11th in restarts, and only 20th in pit crew performance. Those numbers suggest there's still room for improvement.

Still, Chase Briscoe currently sits top of the playoff standings with 2070 points, making him the Round of 12's most well-positioned driver heading into Gateway.

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Does the Southern 500 win change Chase Briscoe's approach?

Chase Briscoe (19) burnouts after winning the Cook Out Southern 500. Source: Getty

The way Chase Briscoe won at Darlington by dominating early, managing the race through missed poles and late restarts, then closing against a determined Tyler Reddick, highlights how far he's come this season. But he himself insists his mindset won't shift because of one playoff win.

"I don't think the approach changes… I haven't really looked at it as now it's like hey it's the playoffs you need to do something different, because all the other 26 weeks of the regular season I just try to go win the race. And it's really no different what I’m doing the next nine weeks," he added via Cup Scene (11:50 onwards).

The challenge, however, is that Darlington remains the only playoff track where he has won, outside of Phoenix - the site of the championship finale. Briscoe will need to carry his form across the different playoff venues where his record is thinner. That starts with next weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway in Gateway, a place where Briscoe's best Cup finish is 17th.

Chase Briscoe has been waiting for a season like this, and if he can maintain his form, the quiet contender in the No. 19 may just become a genuine threat to lift the Cup in Phoenix.