Chase Briscoe in ‘Must-Win Territory’ for Emotional Return to Brickyard

Chase Briscoe would like to qualify for the playoffs in his final season with Stewart-Haas Racing, but under the current circumstances that is a difficult task. The #14 driver is 75 points behind the cut-off and it is not impossible to find his way to the cut-off, but the margin is small.

The SHR driver’s best bet is to win a race before the end of the regular season. With the Cup Series heading to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Briscoe has just that in mind. It will also be an emotional weekend for the #14 team, as it will be the last time the car will race at the famed Oval.

Normally, a position like Briscoe’s would be daunting for a driver, but the 29-year-old is looking forward to the upcoming races. Given his situation, he could also be as aggressive as possible to get the job done. Ultimately, he’d like to visit Victory Lane at least once before moving to Joe Gibbs Racing next year.

“Where we are now, we can be very aggressive with our strategy,” he told Speedway Digest. “We definitely feel like we’re in must-win territory with how we’ve been running and the points on the stages and things like that. It’s probably going to be tough to find our way in.”

In addition to the goal of qualifying for the playoffs, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race is important for SHR. The #14 car gave Tony Stewart his third and final Cup Series championship, and Sunday will be the last time he races around the Brickyard Oval.

Why will the race in Indianapolis be emotional for Briscoe?

After Stewart, Briscoe will be the last driver to ever race in that car. Stewart-Haas Racing will cease operations at the end of this season and the #14 will be retired from NASCAR.

What’s more, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has always been a special track for Stewart. The current driver of the #14 was also a huge fan of the three-time champion growing up, so performing well in Sunday’s race will mean the world to him.

“It’s going to be a sad weekend, honestly, but it’s special. If you had told me as a kid that I would get to drive a Brickyard 400 for Tony Stewart, I would never have believed it. It’s definitely a cool opportunity,” he had said earlier in a media interaction.

The #14 Ford Mustang is also the car that gave Briscoe his first-ever race win at Phoenix in 2022. Since then, the team has struggled to find a win. Sunday will be no different, but the 29-year-old will be determined to fight for victory.