Chase Briscoe breakout season has propelled him and Joe Gibbs Racing into the spotlight of the NASCAR Cup Series, where changes made ahead of 2025 have paid off in dramatic fashion for both the team and its new driver. Taking risks before the 2024 season, Joe Gibbs’s decision to bring Briscoe on board and make adjustments within the organization, including a key crew chief swap, is now being vindicated as Briscoe qualifies for the Championship 4 alongside teammate Denny Hamlin.
Heading into the NASCAR Cup Series finale, anticipation runs high as Briscoe’s first year for the No. 19 Toyota team has turned skeptics into believers, bringing championship hopes and lending Joe Gibbs’s controversial choices unexpected legitimacy.
Joe Gibbs Shakes Up the Garage and Trusts New Faces
Back in late 2024, Joe Gibbs’s willingness to make difficult leadership decisions attracted attention and raised questions around the paddock. One headline move was separating longtime partners Denny Hamlin and Chris Gabehart—an alliance that had produced 22 Cup Series wins. In Gabehart’s place, Chris Gayle became Hamlin’s new crew chief, a pairing that soon clicked and delivered Hamlin’s first Championship 4 berth in four seasons.
Yet Gibbs’s boldest move came when Chase Briscoe was hired to fill the seat of the No. 19 Toyota. Briscoe, hailing from Mitchell, Indiana, was coming off a dominant 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with nine wins, but his NASCAR Cup Series record at Stewart-Haas Racing had yielded only two trophies over four years. As the new season began, doubts about the decision surfaced in both media and the garage, especially after Briscoe sat 21st in the standings just five races into his rookie campaign for Joe Gibbs Racing. Briscoe himself recognized the skepticism:
“Whenever it got announced, there was a lot of people scratching their heads…whether it was fans or even truthfully, probably industry people too,”
Brisoce said recently.
Briscoe Rises Above Doubt to Lead the No. 19 Team
Despite a rocky start, Briscoe demonstrated the talent and resilience that had once made him an Xfinity Series standout. Over the 2025 season, he racked up three Cup Series wins, claimed 15 top-five finishes, and posted 19 top-ten results, firmly placing the No. 19 team among the title contenders. With each milestone, Briscoe silenced doubters and credited the faith Joe Gibbs had shown in him. On a recent episode of ‘Rubbin’ is Racing,’ Briscoe reflected on the stunning results so far:
“For Coach now, to have it all kind of come to fruition, I don’t know if he thought it was going to go as good as it’s gone this year. And, you know, with a championship four berth. But certainly I would think he has to feel good about it, right?”
– Chase Briscoe, Driver
Briscoe’s journey this year wasn’t without intense pressures, as he stepped in for Martin Truex Jr.—the 2017 Cup Series champion—and faced the expectation to deliver immediately. By every measure, his remarkable season represents both a personal triumph and vindication of Joe Gibbs’s risky bet. Briscoe candidly acknowledged the gamble:
“It was a huge risk. You know, I don’t know if I was just a bridge for somebody else down the road or whatnot. But um, yeah, it certainly worked out to have this great first season. And certainly the bar is going to be really high for, you know, the remaining tenure of however long I’m here.”
– Chase Briscoe, Driver
A Season Defined by Versatility and Grit
Throughout 2025, Briscoe’s victories have come at a diverse mix of venues, demonstrating his versatility as a driver. The No. 19 team’s triumphs include a short-track victory, an intermediate oval win, and conquering a superspeedway—proof of Briscoe’s capability to adapt and shine in the highest-pressure scenarios. As the season’s championship stakes rose, talk about Briscoe’s future intensified, with even contract speculation surfacing during press conversations. Joe Gibbs responded playfully,
“You shouldn’t have brought that up. Okay? Do not suggest 10-year contracts.”
– Joe Gibbs, Team Owner
Still, Gibbs made it clear he was more than satisfied with Briscoe’s results:
“I think right now he can get anything he wants. I’ll put it that way.”
– Joe Gibbs, Team Owner
Honoring Garry Rodgers: Legacy Woven Into the Season
As Briscoe and his team chase a championship, their season takes on added meaning with the memory of Garry Rodgers—a figure whose contributions left a mark on both Australian and international motorsport. Rodgers, founder of Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM), passed away at 80 after six decades as owner, mentor, and supporter of rising talent. For Joe Gibbs Racing, the tribute runs deep, as James Small, crew chief for Briscoe’s No. 19 Toyota, began his career under Rodgers’s mentorship in Australia. On social media, Small shared:
“You did so much for so many drivers, engineers and mechanics by giving them their first shot and believing in them.”
– James Small, Crew Chief
To commemorate Rodgers’s enduring influence, the team will carry the GRM logo on the hood of the No. 19 car at Martinsville. Small dedicated this gesture to his mentor, noting the personal and professional debt he owes:
“Gaz is riding with the 19 this weekend. If it weren’t for you Garry I wouldn’t sit here with a chance to win a Championship next week.”
– James Small, Crew Chief
A Championship Bid Marked by Courage and Remembrance
As the final races draw near, Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs, James Small, and the entire No. 19 team are not only contending for a NASCAR Cup Series title, but also racing in honor of the late Garry Rodgers. The championship push is underscored by the intense energy and passion that has characterized their journey all season. With Briscoe’s ascension validating Joe Gibbs’s high-stakes call, and the memory of Rodgers inspiring the crew, the stage is set for a dramatic conclusion that could reshape expectations for Joe Gibbs Racing and for the future of the sport itself.
What lies ahead may unfold on the track, but Chase Briscoe breakout season has already rewritten the narrative for the entire organization—and showcased the power of belief, resilience, and bold decisions in motorsports.
