FORT WORTH – Ford Performance Development driver Chase Briscoe is a rookie driver with two homes in NASCAR Xfinity Series this season and it’s been a difficult path to manage.
The Mitchell, Ind. native competed full-time in the ARCA Racing Series in 2016 and won the championship with Cunningham Motorsports. Last season, he advanced full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, winning the season-finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway and finishing sixth in the series standings.
2018 however arrived without a full-time NASCAR ride for Briscoe after Brad Keselowski Racing opted to shut down his Truck Series program following the 2017 season.
With a push from Ford Performance, however, Briscoe, 23, was able to secure 12 races in the Xfinity Series with Roush Fenway Racing and some sports car racing. Two weeks ago, Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste announced they had signed Briscoe to five more Xfinity Series race starting at Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend.
Even with more races added to his calendar, Briscoe admits “it’s been tough.”
Without a full-time nod, Briscoe’s season is left to learning and contending for race wins – while hoping to make enough impact that he can surge ahead and earn a championship opportunity in 2019.
“The whole reason you race is to win championships,” Briscoe said Friday morning at Texas Motor Speedway. “Going from winning the ARCA championship and then last year in the truck feeling like we had a chance to win the championship to now being part-time. It is hard to deal with.
“For me, trying to learn the Xfinity deal it is hard when you race once and then don’t race again for a month and a half. It is tough. I got to go do Sebring a couple weeks ago and then it is a three or four-week break.
“It has been hard to jump in and out of different cars, but I think it will make me better down the road.”
Briscoe has raced just once this season, starting 18th and finishing 15th at Atlanta Motor Speedway for Roush Fenway Racing. Since then, Briscoe has kept a low profile waiting for the next opportunity to race.
“I have only gotten to run one race and going into Atlanta we didn’t test so just showing up and racing was a big learning curve for me and honestly pretty humbling,” he said. “The Xfinity stuff drives so much different from the trucks just from a downforce standpoint and how you get into the corner.”
“It took me a while to get used to. It felt like it would drive like the ARCA car, but it didn’t at all. Competition-wise, it is tougher at every level you go to. It always gets tougher.”
With nearly half of the season still available for Briscoe to compete, the promising driver has continued to look for new ways to expand his on-track schedule, including a one-race return in ARCA.
“I am always trying to add more races, whether it is Trucks, ARCA, Xfinity, whatever. It is up to Ford. Whatever they do,” he said.
With Cunningham Motorsports sold to Briscoe’s ARCA championship crew chief – Chad Bryant, any potential for a reunion would be with Chad Bryant Racing.
“I think there is a possibility,” added Briscoe. “Maybe just one race. Honestly, it is up to Ford. My relationship with the Cunningham’s is really good and I know they would like me to run one race at least for them but it is honestly Ford’s decision.
“If it is going to be beneficial to me in the Xfinity stuff then I would do it. If it is a track where it won’t benefit me for the Xfinity car then I don’t think there is a reason to do it. That said, I am all about doing what will benefit me in the Xfinity stuff and I am pushing for it, but it is up to them at the end of the day.”
Circling back to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, Briscoe hasn’t finished outside the top-five in two Truck Series starts. He knows achieving that same performance during Saturday’s My Bariatric Solutions 300 won’t be as easy.
“I don’t know what to expect,” he sounded. “The Xfinity car drives so different than the truck. This place really surprised all of us last year when we came back for the fall with how different it was from the spring. I don’t know how different it will be after the full winter.
“I know the 60 guys have been working had and have made a lot of gains since the last time I was in the car at Atlanta.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
