"I could win a Cup title": Chase Briscoe lays out his mindset heading into the playoffs

Ahead of the race at Darlington, Chase Briscoe has opened up on his mindset heading into the playoffs. Briscoe's win at Pocono earlier this season ensured his berth in the playoffs.

During a media availability session ahead of the first race of the Round of 16, Briscoe was asked whether he's tense or relaxed heading into the playoffs.

"It is what it is. I mean there's way more to life than truthfully the playoffs. I'm going to try to do my best and win it all, but at the end of the day, there's way more things in my life that are important as far as being the best husband and father and man, I can be right. But yeah, I definitely think that, for me, I'm going to lay my head down 10 weeks from now and know that I put the best foot forward I could and put 100% effort into it. And if that's enough, it'll be enough. And if not, then it won't be. But yeah, I'm excited for the opportunity. This is the first time that I've ever legitimately felt like I could win a Cup title. So, yeah, it's definitely an exciting thing, I would say, more than anything," Briscoe described. [2:25 onwards]

The #19 driver has had a stellar first season with JGR with 10 finishes inside the top 5 and a couple more inside the top 10. In fact, Briscoe is heading into the playoffs on the back of a pretty good run.

In the last seven races of the regular season, from Sonoma to Daytona, Chase Briscoe has finished inside the top-five four times and six times inside the top 20.

Chase Briscoe comments on differences between his approach to playoffs at SHR vs. JGR

In 2022 and 2024, Chase Briscoe's wins with SHR at Phoenix and Darlington respectively, ensured his spot in the playoffs. And with him being in a new organization in JGR this year's playoffs, he was asked about the differences between the approach at his current team compared to his old team.

Briscoe said it's difficult to describe as he and his crew chief hadn't sat down yet to outline a specific playoff strategy. He said the #19 team was treating the playoff races like any other race where if they end up with a top 5, they would move on. He further described:

"But I would say from a field standpoint, it just feels different because at SHR literally just felt like you were on house money. And if you got eliminated from the round of 16, like at the end of the day, it was probably still a successful season that you at least made the playoffs. Here, if you just make the round of 16, it's not a successful season. It's kind of a failure." [7:00 onwards]

Chase Briscoe claimed that the expectation of simply making the playoffs being enough for a successful season at SHR was what felt different for him at JGR this year.

He claimed checking the playoff box is first box of many he had to tick this season.