Chase Briscoe: NASCAR Cup Chase 2026 Preview

In his sophomore season at Joe Gibbs Racing, Chase Briscoe continues to match the winning standard the team demands heading into the Chase.

For Briscoe, this will be his second consecutive postseason appearance and his third overall in the NASCAR Cup Series.

He will enter the rebirthed chase system in a coveted top five position from fifth with a 45-point deficit to teammate Denny Hamlin.

Can Briscoe utilize a strong finish to the regular season for the Chase or does he return to another slow start?

Slow Start to Fast Finish

After his stellar maiden season with JGR in 2025, his 2026 had the same level of optimism prior to the season’s start.

When he placed his No. 19 Toyota on the front row of the Daytona 500 it was sweet his 36th-placed finish was sour and set the tone for the early part of the season

He followed that up with two more subpar performances of 37th-placed DNF’s at COTA and Phoenix to really put him behind the pack.

Down but by far not out, Briscoe needed to get into high gear earlier than other teams of his caliber to point his way in.

For the No.19 team, it was a slower climb back than anticipated. It took until Charlotte in late May to finally crack the top 16 in points. Then, a further month to enter the top ten in points thanks to his victory at Chicagoland.

Then he and the team were off and running. While others ahead of him in the standings had a rough summer stretch and Briscoe surged.

From his win on July 4 weekend until the end of the regular season he climbed into the prestigious fifth seed and held off the likes of Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, and Kyle Larson for the honor.

Now, Briscoe has made the point reset and looks to continue his current run of form into the Chase.

2026 Chase Outlook

Chase Briscoe enters the Chase after a maiden season with JGR that saw a final four appearance.

The 2026 postseason starts at the perfect track for the Hoosier, Darlington Raceway.

Briscoe and Darlington go together like peanut butter and jelly, it just works. He enters the Southern 500 as a two-time winner of the event and its most recent one as well.

From there the returning tracks on the Chase schedule Briscoe has either achieved a top ten run earlier in the season or won in the past.

Many details aid his championship case. His current uptick in performance, previous successes on Chase tracks, his fourth-best average running position on the season, and his fifth seed could all parlay together to challenge for his first championship.

Ceiling: Champion Floor: Sixth

Briscoe’s 2026 Overview

2026 Stats

• 1 win
  • Chicagoland
• 0 poles
  • 3 front row starts
• 0 stage wins
• 10 top-five finishes, 13 top-ten finishes, 4 DNF’s
• 13.4 avg start, 14.6 avg finish
  • Avg. Running Position of 12.882 (fourth-best)
• 359 laps led (seventh-best)
  • led a season-high 171 in his runners-up finish at Richmond
• Driver Rating of 92.4 (sixth-best)

Strengths

• Top ten Toyota speed everywhere
• Well-rounded performances
• Team comfortability

Weaknesses

• Not as good in qualifying as last season
• Converting strong runs to wins
• Week-to-week ceiling