HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin walked away from Homestead-Miami Speedway with top-five efforts, however nonetheless trying to find extra from their Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas.
Briscoe notched a fourth-place end Sunday to match his Daytona 500 end in his first high 5 for the reason that February race. Hamlin led 15 laps forward of ending fifth, however these had been the one ones JGR led within the 267-lap race.
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Briscoe is the latest driver on JGR’s roster, becoming a member of Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs on the four-car group after 4 seasons at Stewart-Haas Racing. His Homestead end was a much-needed step in the best course after a gap 5 races by which he says it has been robust to discover a rhythm.
“I simply felt like we completed the place we deserved to complete from a pace standpoint,” Briscoe mentioned. “Right now might have went, actually, approach worse. We now have rather a lot to wash up nonetheless. I’d say we virtually most likely misplaced 20 spots on pit highway at this time, so simply needed to maintain battling from behind. However our automotive was actually, actually good — I say it was good, however it wasn’t nearly as good because the 5. Nevertheless it was nonetheless good.
“Simply lastly felt like we completed the place we would have liked to to hopefully construct some momentum. Hopefully, we are able to simply proceed to do that, proceed to point out that we’re a type of guys that may run up entrance week in and week out. It’s good to lastly try this. It’s been for the reason that (Daytona) 500.”
JGR stands as a powerhouse throughout the NASCAR Cup Collection storage, significantly evidenced by Bell’s three wins throughout the first 4 races of 2025. Briscoe, who drove the No. 14 automotive at SHR final 12 months, believed he as a driver might carry out in JGR tools if given the chance. After a four-race stretch with finishes of 14th or worse, Briscoe and his No. 19 group delivered what he believes needs to be the usual of a JGR driver.
“We all know that we’re succesful, proper?” Briscoe mentioned. “However I feel at the very least for me, from a confidence standpoint, I felt like I needs to be working within the high 5 all day lengthy in Joe Gibbs Racing vehicles, however you by no means actually know till you do it, proper? So for me to have the ability to simply be up entrance all day lengthy … like up to now, there was solely a pair weekends a 12 months the place I might try this and present that.
“So this 12 months, hopefully we are able to do it much more typically, and that’s undoubtedly a variety of enjoyable. It’s loopy, simply the distinction in automotive functionality. So trying ahead to the remainder of the 12 months and simply persevering with to click on off races the place we’re up entrance all day lengthy and finally it’ll go our approach.”
Hamlin is the group’s veteran driver, a full-time Cup racer for the reason that fall of 2005. A fifth-place end may not do a lot to excite the 54-time winner as of late, significantly as he believes his No. 11 group and the group as an entire at present sits behind its high competitors. Bell has led 114 laps to date, fourth-most within the collection; Hamlin has led 24, Briscoe 9 and Ty Gibbs none.
“I nonetheless suppose we’ve obtained work to do,” Hamlin mentioned. “I contend that we nonetheless don’t have the pace that it takes to steer a ton of laps, which is exhibiting in laps led. We’re not main laps like we now have up to now. All of JGR. So I feel we’ve simply obtained to get our vehicles somewhat bit sooner to essentially contend week in, week out, proper now.”
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Author : Motorsports
Publish date : 2025-03-24 02:34:00
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