Chase Briscoe breaks through at the Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS – The search for who will replace the former Xfinity Series trio of Tyler Reddick, Cole Custer and Christopher Bell as the ones to beat on a weekly basis has lasted two weeks.
Noah Gragson threw his name in first with the win in the season opener at Daytona a week ago. Then Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Chase Briscoe added his name to that list.
RETWEET TO CONGRATULATE CHASE BRISCOE ON HIS NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WIN AT LAS VEGAS! pic.twitter.com/wvnq9dpcc2
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 24, 2020
Briscoe led 89 of the 200 laps on his way to the victory in the Boyd Gaming 300, a race that was stopped after 50 laps because of rain Saturday and then resumed Sunday night.
“Not that it’s a definite statement, but I think it’s always nice whenever you can win,” Briscoe said. “There’s a lot of talk, at least on the Xfinity side, of who is going to be those next guys, and hopefully us winning shows that we can be one of those guys.
Party like you’re in Vegas, @ChaseBriscoe5! pic.twitter.com/sqcCBFkdOE
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 24, 2020
“If we do our job every week, I feel like we can contend at any race track.”
Briscoe earned his third career Xfinity victory and his first at an oval bigger than a mile. The 89 laps led marked the most he had led in an Xfinity race.
Winner, winner! ?#BoydGaming300 | @ChaseBriscoe5 pic.twitter.com/USlZ4aEhHS
— Las Vegas Motor Speedway (@LVMotorSpeedway) February 24, 2020
Having finished fifth in the standings at Stewart-Haas Racing last year, Briscoe’s 2020 plans weren’t confirmed until December that the team would field a car for him this year. The organization downsized from two to one Xfinity team.
So he is the sole focus for the organization.
Following Briscoe across the line Sunday were Austin Cindric and Ryan Sieg, both earning their best series finishes on a 1.5-mile track. Cindric, who drives for Team Penske, and Briscoe are the two Fords in the Xfinity Series that get some manufacturer support.
Bridesmaid tonight @LVMotorSpeedway. If today is any indication, it’s going to be a fun year, but I can say with 100% certainty… I hate losing.
Great team effort, thx@Team_Penske | @moneylionracing | @FordPerformance
— Austin Cindric (@AustinCindric) February 24, 2020
“There’s a lot of things to read into it,” Cindric said. “We don’t have many numbers in the Ford camp. … We both want to race for a championship this year. We’ve taught each other a few things as teammates, and we race each other pretty hard.
“I don’t think that is the last time you’re going to see that this year.”
Briscoe believed the key was a fast pit stop at the end and track position, that when either him or Cindric was in the lead, they could build a gap on the field.
RETWEET TO CONGRATULATE CHASE BRISCOE ON HIS NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WIN AT LAS VEGAS! pic.twitter.com/wvnq9dpcc2
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 24, 2020
“It makes a little bit of a statement, but not a definite statement that this is who you’ve got to go through to win the championship by any means,” said Briscoe, the series points leader. “There are still a lot of guys that are going to be really good and truthfully, we’ve got to get a lot better, too, to be that definite guy.”
