Victory Lap: Chase Briscoe
About this episode
Chase Briscoe celebrates getting back in the NASCAR Cup win column and talks about how the mindset shifts between SHR and JGR. He explains that at SHR, long win droughts can make success feel unlikely, while at JGR the expectation is to win—especially when the cars are fast. Briscoe attributes early-season struggles to misfortune and execution issues, then describes the “light switch” after weeks of learning and tightening up. He also discusses teammate racing with Denny Hamlin, the respect-driven JGR culture, and the intensity of multi-car battles at tracks like Nashville.
championship four deal
"And this year, I mean, coming off the championship four deal, like we were expecting to go light it up"
NASCAR’s season ends with a small final group of drivers who race for the championship. Getting to the “Championship Four” means you’re one of the last drivers still eligible to win the title.
In NASCAR, the “Championship Four” is the final group of drivers that race for the title at the season finale. The “deal” here refers to the playoff format that determines who gets to that last race and how the title is decided.
big one
"get caught up in the big one at Daytona running second or third, I think a Coda and break a transmission."
A “big one” means a huge wreck involving multiple cars. It’s the kind of crash that can ruin a lot of drivers’ races at the same time.
A “big one” is NASCAR slang for a major multi-car crash that can take out several drivers at once. It often happens in tight pack situations, and it can dramatically affect points and race results.
Daytona
"get caught up in the big one at Daytona running second or third, I think a Coda and break a transmission."
Daytona is one of NASCAR’s biggest tracks. Because the cars race so close together at high speed, crashes can quickly involve many cars.
Daytona refers to Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR’s high-speed superspeedway where pack racing often leads to large multi-car wrecks. It’s a track where “big ones” are especially common because cars run close together at very high speed.
break a transmission
"get caught up in the big one at Daytona running second or third, I think a Coda and break a transmission. Finish 37th there"
A transmission is what sends power from the engine to the wheels. If it “breaks,” the car can’t drive correctly and the race is basically over.
“Break a transmission” means the gearbox failed, usually due to damage from a crash, hard loads, or mechanical wear. In racing, a transmission failure ends the run immediately because the car can’t reliably put power to the wheels.
Phoenix
"Finish 37th there, Phoenix blew a tire, like it was just a lot of just misfortune."
Phoenix is a NASCAR track. Tires can wear out quickly there, and that can lead to problems during the race.
Phoenix refers to Phoenix Raceway, a NASCAR venue known for its tire wear and high-speed cornering. Tire issues there can quickly drop a driver’s position or force damage-related setbacks.
blew a tire
"Finish 37th there, Phoenix blew a tire, like it was just a lot of just misfortune."
“Blew a tire” means the tire failed. When that happens at racing speed, the car can become unstable and you may have to slow down or crash.
“Blew a tire” means a tire failure—often a puncture or tread/sidewall failure—that can cause sudden loss of control. In NASCAR, it typically leads to damage, slowing, or a crash, and it can end a strong run.
Charlotte Coke 600
"And then add a lot of the races even early on in the summer, you know, have great speed, you know, Charlotte Coke 600 could have been battling for the win."
The Coke 600 is a major NASCAR race held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Because it’s long, strategy and tire/pit decisions matter a lot for who ends up winning.
The “Coke 600” is the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, one of NASCAR’s marquee events. It’s a long race where strategy, pit timing, and tire management can heavily influence whether you’re fighting for the win.
Texas
"I caused a crash there, you know, Texas have a car capable of winning, get wrecked on pit road."
Texas is another NASCAR track. If something goes wrong on pit road there, it can ruin even a fast car’s race.
“Texas” refers to Texas Motor Speedway, a NASCAR track where pit road execution and restart timing can be decisive. Pit-road incidents can quickly turn a fast car into a poor finish.
pit road
"Texas have a car capable of winning, get wrecked on pit road."
Pit road is where the teams stop to work on the car. If there’s an accident there, it can damage the car and cost you the race.
Pit road is the controlled lane where NASCAR teams service the car during scheduled stops. A wreck on pit road can cause damage, penalties, or missed service, and it often wipes out a driver’s chance at a good result.
executing
"So yeah, I felt like over the last four or 56 weeks, we just finally started executing."
“Executing” here means doing the race plan the right way. It’s about turning a fast car into good finishes by making the right moves at the right time.
In racing talk, “executing” means carrying out the plan correctly—strategy calls, pit timing, and driving inputs—so the car’s speed turns into real results. It’s contrasted with early-season issues where speed existed but outcomes didn’t match.
James Smalls
"Yeah, when you look at your group on the 19 and your leader, James Smalls, and you guys, you know,"
James Smalls is a team member the host is asking about. The conversation is about how he feels after working hard to reach victory lane.
James Smalls is mentioned as the leader within the speaker’s “group on the 19,” implying a key team role during the season. The host asks about his emotions after finally reaching victory lane.
Arca race
"And I remember as we're getting closer to Indianapolis, working on some kid named Chase Briscoe's car at the Arca race. And my crew chief was Corey LaJoy."
ARCA is a stock-car racing series. Drivers and teams use it to gain experience and improve before moving up to bigger NASCAR events.
ARCA refers to a stock-car racing series that often serves as a stepping stone to NASCAR. Teams and drivers use ARCA events to develop racecraft, car setup skills, and team coordination.
Indianapolis
"And I remember as we're getting closer to Indianapolis, working on some kid named Chase Briscoe's car at the Arca race."
Indianapolis is a famous racing location in the U.S. When they say they’re getting closer to Indianapolis, they mean the team was heading toward an important race weekend.
Indianapolis is a major motorsports hub in the U.S., strongly associated with high-profile oval racing. In NASCAR/ARCA context, “getting closer to Indianapolis” signals the team was approaching a key event where setup and race strategy are especially important.
Corey LaJoy
"And my crew chief was Corey LaJoy. And we had a time."
Corey LaJoy is a person involved in stock-car racing. Here, he’s described as the crew chief, which is the team member who helps direct strategy and car adjustments for the race.
Corey LaJoy is a NASCAR/stock-car driver and crew chief figure in the sport. In this segment, he’s identified as the speaker’s crew chief, meaning he would have led race strategy and car setup decisions.
truck race
"[756.1s] Like honestly, the goal was try to try to run one truck race. [759.3s] And if you could make it to one truck race, you were a NASCAR driver and that was more. [764.3s] I mean, I never thought I'd run an Arca race, let alone a truck race."
A “truck race” means NASCAR’s Truck Series, where cars are built to look like pickup trucks. It’s a major league in NASCAR that many drivers use to earn a shot at the top series.
A “truck race” here refers to NASCAR’s Truck Series, where teams race pickup trucks built to stock-car rules. It’s one of NASCAR’s main national series and is commonly used as a proving ground before moving into the Cup Series.
cup series
"[764.3s] I mean, I never thought I'd run an Arca race, let alone a truck race. [767.4s] So you had to have, you know, coming up on 200 cup starts now and to be able to have success in the cup series."
The “Cup Series” is NASCAR’s main top-tier racing series. If someone says they found success in the Cup Series, it means they did well at the highest level of NASCAR.
The “Cup Series” is NASCAR’s top-level national stock-car championship. When a driver talks about having success in the Cup Series, they’re describing results at the highest competition level, typically with the most prominent teams and drivers.
Tony Stewart
"[773.9s] It's something that I definitely, you know, look back on and think about a lot. [778.8s] When, when you won the first time, it was Tony Stewart that was giving you the call. [786.0s] Now it's Coach Gibbs, who Tony probably learned a lot of the business and from what is that like working for two different"
Tony Stewart is a famous NASCAR driver and team leader. The speaker is saying Stewart helped give him an important opportunity early on.
Tony Stewart is a well-known NASCAR driver and team figure who has also been involved in driver development and team leadership. Here, the speaker credits Stewart with giving him an early career “call,” highlighting Stewart’s role in opening opportunities.
Coach Gibbs
"[786.0s] Now it's Coach Gibbs, who Tony probably learned a lot of the business and from what is that like working for two different [793.6s] legends and two very different type of legends."
“Coach Gibbs” is Joe Gibbs, a major NASCAR team owner and mentor. The speaker is comparing how Stewart and Gibbs helped him in different ways.
“Coach Gibbs” refers to Joe Gibbs, the longtime NASCAR team owner and mentor figure behind Joe Gibbs Racing. The speaker contrasts Stewart’s driver-side influence with Gibbs’s coaching/ownership perspective, emphasizing different styles of guidance in NASCAR.
go-kart
"Yeah, he's been, he has a little go-kart that he go. [992.2s] We've like, we needed to turn around in our house for a drive through, like to be able to turn around in our driveway."
A go-kart is a small, lightweight racing vehicle typically powered by a compact engine and steered with a simple steering wheel. It’s a common entry point for young drivers because it’s affordable, easy to set up, and teaches basic racing lines and control.
Martinsville
"And we made it like a mini Martinsville. [1000.4s] It's like legit, a little oval."
Martinsville is a famous NASCAR race track. It’s known for being short and having tight turns, so the speaker is saying their mini track feels similar.
Martinsville is shorthand for Martinsville Speedway, a NASCAR track known for its short length, tight turns, and heavy braking zones. Comparing a driveway oval to Martinsville is a way of saying the course is small and twisty with frequent cornering.
counter steer
"And like, he instantly knew how to counter steer. [1021.0s] And now, I mean, he full-blown drifts this thing all over the place."
Counter-steering means turning the steering wheel the opposite way of where the car is sliding. Drivers do it to help the car regain control and point where they want to go.
Counter-steering is the steering input you use to rotate the car back toward the direction you want to go when the vehicle is sliding or turning too much. In racing and drifting, it’s a key skill because the car’s balance changes quickly as grip is lost.
drifts
"And now, I mean, he full-blown drifts this thing all over the place. [1024.8s] He wants to race, but I don't know if he needs to be doing that at four years old already."
To drift is to slide the car sideways while still steering it. It usually happens when the tires lose grip, but the driver keeps the car under control.
A drift is when a vehicle intentionally over-rotates and slides sideways while maintaining control, usually by balancing throttle, steering angle, and grip. It’s common in motorsport and street-style driving because it demonstrates car control at the limit of traction.
burnouts
"I will say though, you know, we, we grade burnouts here, Chase, and we're happy to see you. [1172.7s] I thought it was never done."
A burnout is when the car’s tires spin and make a lot of smoke. Drivers do it for the show, but it can wear out or damage the tires if it’s not done carefully.
In NASCAR, a burnout is when the driver spins the driven wheels while the car is stationary or barely moving to generate tire smoke. It’s used for celebration and showmanship, but it also stresses the tires and can risk damage if done aggressively.
tire blew so fast
"I told the guys on the plan, I said, that was the worst burnout I've ever done in my career. [1183.7s] The tire blew so fast, probably cause they were 50 lap tires, but I, my thing is I always get it to the highest gear."
He’s saying the tire got destroyed really quickly while the wheels were spinning. That can happen when the tire overheats fast, especially if the tire type is meant for shorter runs.
This describes rapid tire failure during a burnout—when the tire overheats and degrades quickly under wheelspin. In this context, it’s tied to the tire being a shorter-duration type and the driver’s gear choice, which affects how hard the tires are worked.
50 lap tires
"The tire blew so fast, probably cause they were 50 lap tires, but I, my thing is I always get it to the highest gear. [1191.1s] That was a fifth year burnout."
“50 lap tires” are tires that are expected to last about 50 laps in a race. If you do a burnout on tires like that, they can overheat and break down much faster.
“50 lap tires” refers to tires intended to last roughly 50 laps before they’re expected to wear out or lose performance. Using shorter-life tires for a burnout can make them overheat and fail quickly, producing lots of smoke for a short time.
fifth gear
"That was a fifth year burnout. [1192.4s] Like it was like the tires were ripping. [1194.8s] That's why there was a lot of smoke for the short duration. [1203.2s] But yeah, I always get the thing to fifth gear and that's why there's a ton of smoke."
The gear you’re in affects how hard the tires are being worked when you spin them. Higher gears can make the burnout generate more smoke because the tires heat up faster.
Gear choice changes how the engine’s RPM and wheel speed translate into tire slip during a burnout. Getting the car into a higher gear (like fifth) can increase the load and heat buildup in the tire, which can create more smoke.
first and second gear
"These guys are doing it in first and second gear. [1209.5s] You don't get a lot of smoke. [1211.2s] Um, like even Talladega, when I went to Talladega last year, I was fifth year, 7,000 RPMs in a burnout."
He’s saying that if you do a burnout in lower gears, you usually don’t get as much smoke. That’s because the tires don’t end up getting worked the same way.
Using lower gears (first and second) for a burnout typically limits how much wheelspin and tire heating you can sustain, which can reduce visible smoke. The driver contrasts this with his higher-gear approach that produces more smoke.
7,000 RPMs
"Um, like even Talladega, when I went to Talladega last year, I was fifth year, 7,000 RPMs in a burnout. [1216.0s] Like the tires were going 180 something mile an hour."
RPM means how fast the engine is spinning. In a burnout, running around 7,000 RPM while the tires spin can make the tires heat up and smoke more.
RPM (revolutions per minute) is engine speed, and higher RPM during a burnout increases how quickly the engine is spinning while the tires slip. That combination can intensify tire heating and smoke output.
Talladega
"These guys are doing it in first and second gear. [1209.5s] You don't get a lot of smoke. [1211.2s] Um, like even Talladega, when I went to Talladega last year, I was fifth year, 7,000 RPMs in a burnout."
Talladega is a famous NASCAR track where cars go very fast. He’s using it as an example of what his burnout looked like there.
Talladega refers to Talladega Superspeedway, a NASCAR oval known for high speeds and pack racing. It’s often used as a reference point for how fast cars and tires can be during events like burnouts.
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