LONG POND, Pa. — Chase Briscoe returned to victory lane Sunday at Pocono Raceway, conserving gas down the stretch to carry off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin for his first win together with his new race group.
Briscoe raced his approach into an computerized spot in NASCAR’s playoffs with the win and gave the No. 19 Toyota its first victory since 2023 when Martin Truex Jr. had the trip. Briscoe misplaced his job on the finish of final season at Stewart-Haas Racing when the group folded and he was tabbed to exchange Truex within the four-car JGR discipline.
Hamlin, who holds the monitor document with seven wins, appeared getting ready to reeling in Briscoe over the ultimate, thrilling laps solely to haven’t sufficient within the No. 11 Toyota to snag that eighth Pocono win.
“It was simply so onerous to have a man chasing you, particularly the man that is the best of all time right here,” Briscoe mentioned.
Briscoe, who received an Xfinity Sequence race at Pocono in 2020, raced to his third profession Cup victory and first since Darlington in 2024.
Briscoe has been on little bit of a sizzling streak, and had his fourth top-10 end over the past six races, together with a seventh-place end in final week’s ballyhooed race in Mexico Metropolis.
He turned the eleventh driver to earn a spot within the 16-driver discipline with 9 races left till the sector is about.
Hamlin completed second. Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott accomplished the highest 5.
Briscoe, a third-generation dust racer from Indiana, gave JGR its 18th Cup victory at Pocono.
“To get right here and at last ship a win is simply an superior feeling,” he mentioned. “To have the ability to get Coach in victory lane after taking an opportunity on me, it is simply so rewarding.”
The race was delayed 2 hours, 10 minutes by rain and the circumstances had been muggy by the point the inexperienced flag dropped. Briscoe led 72 laps and received the second stage.
Briscoe wrote earlier than the race on social media, “Anyone going from Pocono to Oklahoma Metropolis after the race Sunday?” The Pacers fan wasn’t going to make it to Recreation 7 of the NBA Finals.
He’ll definitely accept a trip to victory lane.
MINOR SCARE ON PIT ROAD
There was a minor scare on pit street when AJ Allmendinger struck a tire within the provider’s hand together with his proper entrance facet and despatched it flying into the ribs of one other group’s crew member within the pit forward of him. Jonpatrik Kealey, the rear tire changer on Shane van Gisbergen’s race group, was knocked on all fours however completed work on van Gisbergen’s pit cease.
BRAKE TIME
Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell and Riley Herbst all had their races spoiled by brake points.
“It was a scary feeling for certain,” Herbst mentioned. “I used to be simply beginning to get tight, only a unhealthy adjustment on my half. Stepping into (flip) one, the brakes simply went to the ground. A brake rotor exploded and I used to be alongside for the trip.”
UP NEXT
NASCAR heads to Atlanta. Christopher Bell received the primary race on the monitor this season in March.
