By Caleb Whisler, Staff Writer
With Daytona being a crapshoot, the real start of the season begins this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway for Chase Briscoe.
Briscoe comes into the 2019 NASCAR Xfintiy Series season with a fresh, consistent start at Stewart-Haas Racing. In 2018, the 24-year-old driver drove for Roush Fenway Racing on a part-time schedule, while also running in various motor sports.
Although most of his racing career has had breaks, Briscoe is looking forward to racing in NASCAR on a more consistent basis.
“It was really hard on the NASCAR side,” Briscoe said. “I was still racing. I would go run sprint cars or the sports car stuff but it made it really hard to be good at the NASCAR stuff, especially right off the truck with the limited practice we have. When guys are doing it each and every week it makes them so much better. I would race once and then there was one time I was off for a month and a half. It made it really hard. I felt like I wasn’t as good as I could have been.
“I think it will be a lot easier this year, being in the car each and every week. I still don’t have a ton of stock car experience. I don’t even have 60 races in my entire career yet in a stock car. I feel like I learn so much every time I get in the car. In the short amount of time I have been in stock cars, I haven’t raced each and every week, I have always had breaks. I think this year will be easier from my end.”
While racing in Xfinity, Briscoe can lean on SHR teammates Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Cole Custer, Aric Almirola and Daniel Suárez. This weekend at Atlanta, Briscoe leans on the expertise of Harvick.
“A lot of different guys. Harvick this week,” he said. “I have been wearing him out. I will talk to Brad (Keselowski) still from when I drove his trucks. Larson a little bit. Tony (Stewart) even though he hasn’t raced these cars in a log time he is still a big help. There are a lot of guys I reach out to and talk to. Honestly, everyone in the garage has been super helpful and everyone at SHR, Clint, Daniel, Aric, they have all helped me a ton. There is really nobody I don’t use it seems like.”
Briscoe seeks to understand the nuances of each race track that he has either never been to in an Xfinity car or has only been to once.
“I am just trying to find out little things that might find me some speed and the balance I need,” he continued. “I don’t quite know what feel I need going into the race. I feel like a lot of time I am too loose because I like being sideways and that loose feel a lot. That is probably not the best way to race. This week especially, tires are so big.
“Just talking to Kevin (Harvick) about how you can maintain your speed at the beginning of a run and have good speed at the end of a run. He is so good at that here. Each track is so different with what you ask. This week is about tire management.”
While relying on his Cup teammates, Briscoe has meshed well with Custer. As the season progresses, he believes Custer will also be an added benefit.