Things don’t appear to be going well for Chase Briscoe. At the 2025 Daytona 500, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver secured a pole position ahead of the season opener, marking his first time earning points for the organization. The racer is in serious water after NASCAR found that his No. 19 Toyota’s spoiler had been altered, which is strictly prohibited by the sanctioning body’s code, even though he finished fourth at “The Great American Race.” The driver’s chances of winning a championship have been severely damaged as a result of the team receiving a harsh punishment. Will the Indiana native overcome all odds to turn around his Cup Series campaign with 35 races left on the schedule? We’ll find out in time.
But going forward, Briscoe will have a difficult time and will require a miracle to save the season. The new crew chief, Chase Briscoe, will be missed. For Chase Briscoe, it appeared to be a dream beginning. During qualifying, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver ended the team’s 27-year run by recording the quickest lap time at Daytona International Speedway. Prior to 2025, JGR hadn’t won the Daytona 500 since Bobby Labonte in 1998, but Briscoe’s blazingly quick lap gave Toyota the victory for the first race since joining NASCAR. In addition to being a formidable competitor, the 30-year-old finished fourth in the race, surpassing his teammates Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Ty Gibbs.
But that’s when everything went wrong. The regulating authority found that Chase Briscoe’s speed was due to a modified spoiler, which is a single-source supply component that cannot be changed in any way. The driver shared his feelings with FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass on the punishment and losing his crew chief, James Small, saying, “Yeah, I mean, clearly it’s not great timing-wise right? Particularly in the start of the season, when we’re attempting to comprehend and learn more about one another. There is a lot of depth at JGR, but it would definitely hurt. Briscoe has lost 100 driver points and 10 playoff points as a result of the spoiler being altered, and the No. 19 team has been fined $100,000.
To make matters worse, Joe Gibbs Racing has been fined 100 owner’s points and crew chief James Small has been sidelined for four Cup Series races. Even if Briscoe won every stage, the fastest lap point, and the race in Atlanta on Sunday, he would still be in negative points, so the term “severe” would be an understatement. However, it appears like NASCAR is using the former Stewart-Haas Racing driver as an example to stop other drivers and teams from trying similar tactics in the future. Chase Briscoe is still adjusting to life at Joe Gibbs Racing, so the penalty has put him in a challenging situation.
“I really want James (Small) there, especially at this early stage of the season,” the Indiana native stated. It is crucial that we establish that chemistry. In order to salvage his season, the No. 19 Toyota driver will aim for a victory in the 2025 Ambetter Health 400. With the racer currently down by -67 points, Briscoe will need to perform well at every opportunity to stay competitive in the Cup Series.
Joe Gibbs Racing is hopeful that NASCAR will reverse its decision
Chase Briscoe’s career with Joe Gibbs Racing couldn’t have started any worse. The Indiana native was excited to compete for race wins every weekend with his new team after a turbulent period at the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing. The 30-year-old’s expectations were mostly met by the season’s first race, but what transpired after that has been nothing short of a nightmare. “Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) will appeal the penalty issued by NASCAR to the No. 19 Cup Series team today,” the statement said, indicating that the team, having nothing more to lose, has chosen to fight NASCAR’s decision. The problem arose during the construction process when the bolts used to fasten the spoiler base to the deck lid wore down the pre-drilled holes because of interferences from the provided parts.
“There’s still a chance to appeal so that’s what we’re doing now,” Chase Briscoe remarked, sharing his thoughts on the poor likelihood that the decision will be overturned. Fortunately, we still have that chance, so let’s hope we win. The driver is currently 88 points below the cutline and 45th in the driver’s rankings. Although this is a severe blow, the last time NASCAR imposed a fine of this kind, it was lowered! Three Hendrick Motorsports drivers—Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, and William Byron—were in a difficult situation in 2023. Following a race at Phoenix Raceway when Bowman, Larson, and Byron were docked 100 points and all crew chiefs received four race suspensions, problems with hood louvers were discovered on their care.
Does it sound familiar to you yet? It didn’t last long for HMS, but the team sanctions in terms of money and points were the same as what JGR currently serves. A little more than a week later, HMS was cleared of this and the points were returned, thus JGR would expect that the similarities in both cases persist. The crew chiefs were nevertheless fined and given a four-race suspension. For Chase Briscoe, who stated that he hopes to establish a rapport with his new crew chief early in the season, this would be bittersweet if history were to repeat itself. But it would be a big comfort to go into Atlanta with a clean record. The odds are against the squad, if history is any indication. the odds are stacked against the team’s favor as out of 175 appeals since 1999, only 39 have been reduced and 16 have been overturned. However, Joe Gibbs Racing will hope for a miracle to turn their fortunes around, even if the chances are virtually non-existent.
