Back-to-back Southern 500 victories have Chase Briscoe chasing a piece of Darlington history that only Jeff Gordon has accomplished before.
Winning one Southern 500 is enough to put a driver’s name alongside some of NASCAR’s greatest. On Sunday, Chase Briscoe has a chance to win three in a row.
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Briscoe enters the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway attempting to become just the second driver in NASCAR history to win at least three consecutive Southern 500s. Jeff Gordon is the only driver to accomplish the feat, winning four straight from 1995 through 1998.
Two Wins, Two Very Different Races
Briscoe’s path started in 2024, when Stewart-Haas Racing was preparing to close at the end of the season and he entered Darlington needing a victory to make the postseason. A late charge put him in front before he held off Kyle Busch to snap a 73-race winless streak, secure a postseason spot and deliver Stewart-Haas Racing its final Cup Series victory.
A year later, Briscoe returned with a new team, manufacturer and a completely different kind of performance. Driving the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, he led 309 of 367 laps, swept both stages and held off Tyler Reddick for his second consecutive Southern 500 victory.
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Why Darlington Works for Briscoe
Briscoe has said Darlington clicked with him almost immediately, comparing its constantly changing grip and need to search for speed around the track to the sprint-car racing he grew up doing.
“You don’t ever run two laps the same,” Briscoe told NASCAR earlier this season. “Every lap your car is just changing so much, so you’re always adapting.”
Darlington has become the track where Briscoe has led more Cup Series laps than anywhere else in his career.
This year, another Southern 500 victory would carry championship implications, too. Briscoe enters NASCAR’s 10-race Chase as the No. 5 seed, 45 points behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.
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A third straight win would give Briscoe an early boost in that championship fight while adding his name to one of the shortest lists in Southern 500 history.
At a track famous for being “Too Tough to Tame,” winning has become surprisingly familiar for Briscoe.
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