Briscoe Victorious at Pocono, Secures Playoff Spot

Chase Briscoe secured a victory at Pocono Raceway, skillfully managing his fuel to fend off Denny Hamlin, his teammate from Joe Gibbs Racing. This win marked Briscoe's first with his new team.

The win automatically qualified Briscoe for NASCAR's playoffs and gave the No. 19 Toyota its first win since 2023, when Martin Truex Jr. was the driver. Briscoe had previously lost his position at Stewart-Haas Racing when the team closed down, and he was chosen to replace Truex in the four-car JGR lineup.

Hamlin, known for his record-breaking seven wins at the track, appeared poised to overtake Briscoe in the final laps. However, Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota ultimately fell short of securing an eighth Pocono victory. Briscoe acknowledged the challenge, stating the difficulty of being chased by a driver of Hamlin's caliber.

This victory was Briscoe's third career Cup win, following his Xfinity Series win at Pocono in 2020 and his Darlington win in 2024. He has been performing well recently, achieving his fourth top-10 finish in the last six races, including a seventh-place finish in Mexico City. He is now the 11th driver to secure a playoff spot.

Hamlin finished second, followed by Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, and Chase Elliott. Briscoe, a third-generation dirt racer, contributed to JGR's 18th Cup victory at Pocono. He expressed his satisfaction with the win, especially after being given an opportunity by his team.

The race was delayed by rain. Briscoe led 72 laps and won the second stage. Before the race, Briscoe, a Pacers fan, had to miss Game 7 of the NBA finals.

A pit road incident occurred when AJ Allmendinger's car struck a tire carrier's hand, sending the tire into the ribs of another team's crew member. Jonpatrik Kealey, a rear tire changer, was affected but continued his work.

Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell, and Riley Herbst experienced brake issues that impacted their races. Herbst described the frightening experience of his brakes failing.

NASCAR's next race will be in Atlanta, where Christopher Bell won the first race of the season in March.