National Sports

Briscoe’s back-to-back affords chance in NASCAR Chase

CONCORD, N.C. -- Chase Briscoe’s hero in auto racing has always been Tony Stewart.

Now, the driver of the No. 19 Toyota is hoping to replicate what “Smoke” accomplished in 2011 when he stunned the racing world by rallying to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship by winning five of 10 playoff races, including the season finale at Homestead to register one of the sport’s biggest comebacks.

“He made a pretty unbelievable run, and hopefully we can do the same thing,” Briscoe said of Stewart.

Briscoe is certainly giving it his best effort after winning back-to-back playoff races.

That included Sunday when he edged out Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell by .029 seconds to win the second closest race in Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 66-year history.

He also won the previous week at Las Vegas.

The wins have vaulted Chase back into the “Chase.”

Two weeks earlier Briscoe was 123 points behind playoff points leader Kyle Larson. He’s since trimmed that deficit to 65 with four races remaining before a champion is crowned.

Denny Hamlin, at 49 points back, and Bell, 51 back, also remain ahead of Briscoe heading into the stretch run.

Now it’s just a matter of whether it’s too little, too late for Briscoe.

“I think we are certainly in contention,” Briscoe said. “We probably need to win another race or two, but we at least put ourselves in the ballgame. That’s all you can ask for.”

Briscoe lamented four laps in the playoffs which he said have cost him 75 points due to miscues.

But he added the focus is on this weekend when the circuit heads to Phoenix.

“We never know how it’s going to look in four weeks from now but just have to go to the racetrack and keep winning races ultimately, and if we can do that, the points are going to be what they’re going to be at the end,” he said.

Briscoe’s crew chief James Small is hoping to seize on the momentum from the two wins.

“I think we’ve got to step on their throats while we can,” Small said. “I’m not going to let off the throttle pedal right now.”

When asked if the mild-mannered Briscoe was the type to step on someone’s throat, Small laughed and said, “Definitely not.”

But then Small added, “When he puts his helmet on and he’s silent, but he’s like a silent assassin.”

Briscoe got a chuckle when informed of Small’s comments after the race.

“You can be a nice guy outside of the race car, but in the race car I think you have to be a killer,” Briscoe said. “For us, that’s the whole approach.”