It was widely expected that drivers would have a short learning curve adjusting to the new Chase format. But Chase Briscoe seems stuck in the past, as if the elimination-style format were still in play. Little else explains his disastrous start to the 2026 Cup Series season. Through five races, he has two DNFs and one finish outside the top 30, leaving him 26th in the points standings.
If the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racingdriver has any ambition of making it to the Chase and contending for the championship like he did last year, he needs to pick his performance up on a consistent level.
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Veteran crew chief Steve Letarte spoke about his situation on NASCAR: Inside The Race with former driver Kyle Petty and opined along the same lines.
He said, “People who go on a diet and then get burgers and fries. Tomorrow, they’re gonna diet and then get burger and fries. And then tomorrow, they’re gonna start exercising. Tomorrow is here for the No. 19 car! I am not saying, drive around with mittens in 15th place. But you have to put a filter on. You’re gonna have to just have a bit of sensitivity around DNF and big mistakes.”
Briscoe finished eighth at Las Vegas on Sunday, but the issue was the lack of points, as he managed just 29 despite the top-10 finish. He failed to pick up any stage points and saw little improvement in the standings. That led Petty to say he would rather have him finish 36th and score a ton of points.
Briscoe admits to being in a tough spot
The worst mindset a driver can have when under fire is unawareness. Fortunately, Briscoeis aware of what he is doing wrong and what the consequences of that will be. Following the race at Phoenix, he spoke to the press and acknowledged that he needs to climb out of the hole that he has dug for himself.
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“There is no margin for error,” he said. “We need to win a lot of races… It’s a bad thing just to get up in it. With the way the Chase is, if we are not top-6 at the end of the regular season, it is almost impossible to win the championship from the mathematical side of what our data shows. That’s the hard part. We are just so down there in points. It is gonna be hard to even get to that.”
His next race will be at the Darlington Raceway this weekend. It is a track where he has won in the past, and he will be hoping for a good result.
The post Time is Running Out for Chase Briscoe to Salvage NASCAR Season After Dismal Start to Season appeared first on The SportsRush.
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