Briscoe Saves Enough Fuel, Scores Stunning Pocono Victory

By Colin Ward

After a nearly two-hour weather delay pushed the start to 4:30 p.m., Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway delivered a chaotic and dramatic afternoon that ended with Chase Briscoe claiming his first win with Joe Gibbs Racing in fuel-saving fashion.

The race began with strategy in play early, as seven of the frontrunners pitted late in stage one to set themselves up for track position later. That opened the door for Denny Hamlin to cruise to the stage one victory. Meanwhile, Carson Hocevar had a highlight-reel moment with a wild save in turn three, where his car kicked sideways off of the corner, but miraculously avoided any major damage with some help from the outside wall.

Stage two quickly turned sour for several contenders, particularly the 23XI Racing stable. All three of their cars experienced what appeared to be brake or rotor failures. Riley Herbst and Bubba Wallace both slammed into the wall after mechanical failures ended their days prematurely. Tyler Reddick’s issues were detected early enough that he went to the garage without major incident. Wallace, known for not holding back, gave a colorful explanation for what happened when asked if it was the brakes: “That’s what my foot told my ass that told my brain.”

A multi-car crash near the end of stage two further shuffled the field. Kyle Busch lost control in turn two and spun in front of the pack, collecting Christopher Bell, Shane van Gisbergen, Ty Dillon, and others in a tough blow. When the dust settled, it was Briscoe who emerged with the stage two win—his first since joining Joe Gibbs Racing.

The final stage started clean, but pit strategy was once again disrupted when a caution flew for van Gisbergen’s spin in turn one in the middle of green-flag stops. Briscoe’s crew got him out quickly, but in doing so, failed to get enough fuel into the No. 19 car. Crew chief James Small was blunt over the radio: “We are fucked on fuel.”

Despite the miscue, Briscoe stayed out front during the final green-flag run and began an intense fuel-saving effort. Behind him, Hamlin was charging hard, while Ryan Blaney, battling heat exhaustion, remained in striking distance.

Over the final 30-plus laps, Briscoe expertly managed his pace and fuel, holding off Hamlin to score the win in dramatic fashion. The margin at the finish was under a second, but it was enough for Briscoe to lock himself into the playoffs and deliver his team their first win of the season.

“I had to be perfect. It’s so hard to have a guy like Hamlin chasing you, especially at this place,” Briscoe said post-race. “This means the world.”

Blaney finished third, followed by Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott in the top five. The day proved challenging for many, but for Briscoe, it was a breakthrough moment that capped off one of the most unpredictable races of the year