As a native Hoosier, Chase Briscoe had his eyes glued to his television during the annual Brickyard 400.
When the NASCAR Cup Series takes the green flag on Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it’ll be his first opportunity to win on the world renowned 2.5-mile speedway.
It’ll be the first Cup Series race contested on the traditional IMS oval since 2020. The series competed on the road course from 2021 through 2023.
For Briscoe, who grew up a Tony Stewart fan, his fondest memories come from watching Stewart win the Brickyard 400.
“For me, obviously the Brickyard wins stand out,” Briscoe recalled. “Truthfully, I don’t remember the Indy 500, the double runs, I was a little bit younger. But I definitely remember Tony’s first Brickyard win, and then the one where he gave the interview on the front straightaway about the fans sticking with him.
“And I remember him doing the burnout over in turn two in front of his dad, Nelson, and all of his family and friends, so those are the ones that sort of stand out more than the rest.”
Notably, Stewart will not be in attendance for the event due to competing in the NHRA Northwest Nationals this weekend at Pacific Raceways in Seattle, Washington.
It’ll be a bittersweet weekend for Briscoe, who will be competing in his first and only Brickyard 400 aboard Stewart’s No. 14 Ford Mustang. He’ll join Joe Gibbs Racing beginning in 2025, which also happens to be the team Stewart was driving for when he won his two Brickyard 400 trophies in 2005 and 2007.
Thus, Briscoe, who grew up less than two hours from the 2.5-mile oval, is hoping to give Stewart one more victory at the hallowed grounds of Indianapolis, as Stewart-Haas Racing will close at the end of the season.
“I’m glad that I’ll at least get to say I got to drive one Brickyard 400 in the 14 for Tony,” Briscoe said. “But it is bittersweet knowing that this’ll be the only time I’ll get to do it, and it’ll be the last time that Tony’s an owner at IMS. Yeah, there are mixed emotions.
“I’m excited and glad that I’m getting to do it with how everything played out, the fact that we’re going back to the oval this year and everything, it means a lot personally to get to do it in the 14. I’m glad that I’ll have that opportunity and at least get the chance to do it, but it is bittersweet,” Briscoe continued.
“I was talking to Tony a couple of weeks ago and even brought up to him how a reporter had mentioned it to me and it didn’t even really hit me until I heard it. I think for Tony it was the same way. So it’s going to be bittersweet for both of us, but just glad we’ll have the opportunity.”
That opportunity is something Briscoe isn’t taking for granted.
As Briscoe described it, winning at Indy, whether in an Indy car or stock car, “it’s all icons in motorsports and just people you kind of look up to.”
“The A.J. Foyts, the Parnellis, the Unsers and Andrettis, it’s just the names of the people who have gotten to run at that race track, let alone win at that race track, it’s kind of a who’s who,” Briscoe explained.
“Just to get to run on a race track that’s been around for more than 100 years and has the history and significance that it has in the motorsports community is always special.
“Then, when you grow up in Indiana, it’s just normal. I think you take for granted that you have IMS there in your backyard. It’s something you don’t realize how big of a thing it is until you finally go there and see it in person and realize what it means to motorsports. It’s certainly special to have probably the most iconic race track in the world as my home track.”
Briscoe enters the Brickyard 400 18th on the playoff grid, 75 markers behind Ross Chastain for the final playoff spot.