"That was my backup plan": Chase Briscoe looks back on his PR guy role for Christopher Bell

Chase Briscoe's journey from updating Facebook pages to chasing NASCAR's biggest prize has come full circle. The defending Southern 500 winner returns to Darlington Raceway this weekend, now driving the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Alongside him in the 2025 Cup Series Playoffs is longtime friend and fellow JGR driver Christopher Bell, the same driver Briscoe once worked for as a makeshift PR professional.

The two first met as 12-year-olds racing online through iRacing, a friendship that stuck through late nights, couch-surfing, and the grind of chasing rides. In 2015, Bell even helped Briscoe secure a key ARCA test, setting him on a path that eventually led to the Cup Series. Ten years later, they’re not just competitors, they’re teammates in matching JGR Toyotas, entering the playoffs side by side.

When asked by Jeff Gluck on The Teardown Playoff Podcast about those early days, Briscoe said:

"Ten years ago, I was sleeping on couches, right? And my Facebook memories will pop up and 10 years ago I was going to CARS Tour late model races and USAC midget races, following Bell around. I'd do like PR for him and now we're teammates. It's just crazy. If you would have told me that was going to happen, I would have never believed that, but yeah, it's come back full circle." (33:14 onwards)

Asked whether he was good at the job, Chase Briscoe laughed and admitted he had it down to a system.

"Yeah, I had all the lap times and I'd be posting them on his page and everything... that was my backup plan, I guess. I remember sending all the practice times out and I'd send them to his parents. Then I'd the scanner at the track and I'd do live updates. I didn't do it a whole lot, but I definitely would do it."

From couch-sleeping PR assistant to defending Southern 500 champion, Briscoe's climb has always been tied to Bell's orbit. Bell's call got him noticed by Roush, their careers overlapped in open-wheel development, and now both sit in Joe Gibbs Racing's stable, one in the No. 19 and the other in the No. 20.

Now, both are playoff drivers.

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Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell ready for Darlington

(L-R) Chase Briscoe, Ryan Truex, and Christopher Bell before the Mexico NASCAR Cup Series race. Source: Getty

The Southern 500 is one of NASCAR's crown jewels. 501 miles on the abrasive 1.366-mile oval, a race that demands patience, discipline, and adaptability as the track changes under the lights.

For Chase Briscoe, it’s a chance to defend his 2024 triumph, the last win for Stewart-Haas Racing before his move to JGR. In qualifying this week, he nearly made history. His lap of 28.715 seconds missed pole by just .021 seconds to teammate Denny Hamlin. Briscoe would have become the first driver ever to start from pole in all four crown jewels in a single season.

Christopher Bell, meanwhile, starts seventh with a 28.962-second lap. His year began with three consecutive victories early in the season, but that momentum has faded. He has finished 13th or below in eight of the last 12 races. At Darlington, he is yet to win with three top-five finishes in 12 starts, and a car capable of running up front.

Chase Briscoe's Darlington resume includes one win and another top-five in nine starts. He has shown flashes of brilliance here and will need to maintain his consistency that he has shown this year.