Chase Briscoe emphasizes patience for Michigan Cup race as he readies himself and the No. 19 Toyota team for Sunday’s Cup Series event at Michigan, with hopes of turning strong starting positions into a long-awaited race win. Briscoe, after multiple close calls and lessons learned in recent weeks, aims to harness both the car’s raw pace and a revised mindset to finally deliver results on race day.
Briscoe Reflects on Qualifying Versus Race Day Performance
Throughout this season, Chase Briscoe has frequently found himself near the front of the grid following strong qualifying results, most recently at Michigan. However, he recognizes that starting up front is only part of the battle, as converting qualifying speed into race victories has proven elusive for his team so far.
During a post-qualifying interview, Briscoe offered an honest assessment of his lap, noting his line through the final turns was not perfect.
“But then I ended up way high on exit. I felt like the guys that kind of opened up their entry would maybe beat me back to the line.”
—Chase Briscoe, Driver
Despite these concerns, his time was enough to secure a strong starting spot. Yet, he admits that translating this advantage into Sunday results remains a significant challenge. The team has repeatedly shown speed on Saturdays, but mistakes and missed opportunities continue to hinder their race-day performance.
Navigating Setbacks and Learning Hard Lessons
Briscoe is candid about the mix of factors that have impacted recent races, including moments on pit road and the decisions made behind the wheel.
“It was not as easy as I thought it was going to be, truthfully, as far as just holding it wide open,”
he reflected on the difficulty of maintaining race pace.
“It will definitely be nice starting up front. We’ve been able to do that now three weeks in a row, and we haven’t really been able to execute with it.”
—Chase Briscoe, Driver
He points out that issues haven’t been limited to one area alone. Mistakes have ranged from pit road mishaps to tactical blunders and driver judgments, each playing a role in derailing otherwise promising days.
“Last week our pit crew did a really good job,”
he said.
“Obviously, we had the mess up on pit road. But then last week, I felt like a lot of it was me. I just kind of lost control of the race when I tried to lap Larson.”
—Chase Briscoe, Driver
Adapting Approach: Embracing Strategy Over Aggression
One major adjustment for Briscoe comes in the form of his approach to restarts, which have historically seen him take bold and sometimes risky actions, especially when driving less competitive cars. As the No. 19 Toyota proves its strength over recent weeks, Briscoe sees less need to gamble everything on early moves.
“It’s still, for me, a mental switch,”
Briscoe said.
“On these restarts, I don’t have to be so aggressive. In the past, my car wasn’t as good, so I was doing these high-risk moves that sometimes you gain a couple of spots, but sometimes you lose some.”
—Chase Briscoe, Driver
Understanding that the car is competitive over a race distance, Briscoe wants to focus on consistency, resisting the urge for short-term gains and trusting in the team’s overall performance.
“I just need to maintain sometimes because my car is going to be good enough overall,”
he shared. —Chase Briscoe, Driver
Eyes on a Breakthrough as Michigan Looms
With three consecutive strong qualifying results and a sense that the team is on the brink of meaningful progress, Briscoe and the entire No. 19 team believe that a breakthrough performance could be close at hand. The lessons from recent disappointments are not being ignored but instead are fueling determination for Michigan.
“Hopefully, we can finally get one on Sunday.”
—Chase Briscoe, Driver
As the green flag approaches, both Briscoe and his pit crew aim to balance patience, concentration, and execution. Their performance this weekend will be watched by the Cup Series community as a potential turning point for Briscoe, whose maturity and evolving strategy, along with the muscle of his Toyota and support from his team, may finally coalesce into a race win at Michigan.
