HUNTERSVILLE, N.C.—When Chase Briscoe learned the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing seat was open for 2025, he didn’t hesitate to put the wheels in motion.
While Christopher Bell provided a heads-up there was a possibility Martin Truex Jr. would be leaving at season’s end, the prospect of the former Cup champion’s retirement had been rumored in previous years.
But the moment Stewart-Haas Racing announced it was shutting down on May 28, Briscoe went to work to secure not only his future but the future of his family.
“If you want it, you have to go get it,” Briscoe said. “No one is going to work for it as hard as you are. I knew the position that we were going to be in with Silly Season and the drivers that were available. If I was able to talk, I had to start doing it. But before SHR gave us the green light, I wasn’t able to talk to anyone. As soon as I got the go-ahead, I was definitely on it.
“I wanted to stay loyal to SHR as long as possible. Once they told me I was able to do whatever, I had to do what was best for myself and that was talk to other race teams.”
One of his first texts was to Joe Gibbs Racing President Dave Alpern, who responded, ‘Thank you. Appreciate it.’ Briscoe believed Alpern was simply being polite. But Alpern hadn’t forgotten the aspring racer who had house-sat for his family nearly a decade ago.
“There was a period of time where he lived in the basement next door to us,” Alpern said. “When he moved to Charlotte, he was sleeping on couches—and that’s another thing that stood out. It’s one thing to say, ‘Hey, I’m going to move to Charlotte, I want to make this work.’
“But I think he went like three years before he got an opportunity. And he stuck it out. He had no fall-back plan.
“So I remember him being just a really humble, genuine kid. I think what stood out to us when we started to look at him was every time he had an opportunity, he stepped up. At one point he won nine Xfinity Series races. He had Christopher Bell-like stats.”
Briscoe was also vetted by Bell, who had observed his fellow competitor as they rose through various levels of racing up top and including their Cup tenures.
Alpern invited Briscoe to breakfast two days after the driver reached out. The 32-year veteran of JGR knew Briscoe’s stats. He wanted to know the person behind the numbers. Alpern wanted to know Briscoe’s story.
“When you talk about the culture, he seems like a family guy,” Alpern said. “He’s very down-to-earth and I think he’ll fit in really good. The fact that he’s friends with Christopher, team chemistry is really important, because when you have a lot of people in the room—multiple drivers, multiple crew chiefs—team chemistry is a big deal.”
Alpern was immediately comfortable with Briscoe. He found the driver “easy to root for.” That weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway, Briscoe received another text. This time it was from team owner Joe Gibbs.
“Saturday morning I had a text from a number I didn’t have,” Briscoe said. “It said, ‘Hey, this is Joe. Give me a call.’ I screen shot it. Sent it to Christopher and asked, ‘Is this who I think it is?’”
Bell confirmed. Joe Gibbs Racing didn’t take the pursuit of Briscoe lightly. They knew other offers had been made for the 29-year-old’s services. And given Coach’s experience with recruiting top talent, the hard core press was on.
“He had other choices,” Gibbs said with a laugh. “There were other people after him. When I was at colleges and it was signing day, I would show up at 3 o’clock in the morning and sit outside the house because I wanted to make sure someone else didn’t show up.
“Recruiting—there’s a little bit of an art to it. You hope you can put across the things you think are important to somebody. I get nervous, too. Until it’s done, I can’t relax.“
Briscoe met with Gibbs on Sunday after chapel and prior to the race. Coach called him after the race and told Briscoe to leave Monday morning open—knowing that the driver was meeting with the Wood Brothers on Monday afternoon.
The company made Briscoe an offer the following Tuesday predicated on Truex’s decision—which was expected the next morning. Gibbs called Briscoe before the deadline to inform him the seat was his. On the way out to Sonoma Raceway, Briscoe and JGR team principals met with Bass Pro Shops’ owner Johnny Morris, the primary sponsor of the No. 19 Toyota.
“He seems like a guy that’s going to put in the work because he’s proven that he’s been putting in the work at every stage and he’s earned it at every stage,” Alpern said. “I’m really proud of that fact for him that he got here completely on his own. He earned it. I think he’s going to do really well. I think this is a really great opportunity for him, but I think it’s really exciting for us.”
As Briscoe’s possibilities took shape, JGR appeared to be the best fit for the driver. Certainly, the ability to race for one of NASCAR’s juggernauts is irresistible. But the culture of faith at the organization mirrored Briscoe’s beliefs. And throughout the process, which Briscoe negotiated on his own, he never felt pressured to bargain for the ride. He never thought the relationship was transactional.
“Out of all the teams I met with, they wanted me for me,” Briscoe said. “That meant a lot to me, personally. I have incredible partners between Mahindra and High Point—all of these people that I hope we can keep part of my program. But Joe Gibbs Racing never once asked me, ‘Hey, what do you think you can bring over here?’ They just said they wanted me as a race car driver.
“My whole career, it’s pretty special to say I’ve never had to bring a single dollar myself to any organization. Not that with the other organizations that was a determining factor, but it certainly was a question that was asked.
“When I had already met with JGR, it was never even a talking point. JGR just wanted me for me. They could care less about the other stuff. They would find a way to make it work.”
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer or email her at: [email protected].
