(Cover Photo Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
By Adam Carabine
In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022.
9th Place – Chase Briscoe – 2,291 pts
STEWART-HAAS RACING – FORD
1st Cup Series Win in 2022 – Though it seems like years ago somehow, Chase Briscoe earned his first ever Cup Series victory at the Spring Phoenix race. Of the 312 laps run that day, Briscoe led 101 of them. He also earned an additional 12 stage points. It was a dominant performance, but more importantly he showed the rest of the field that he was a competitor, as Phoenix was only the 4th race of the season.
126 Stage Points Earned in 2022 – Because Chase Briscoe was locked into the playoffs so early into the season, earning stage points didn’t necessarily need to be a priority for the No. 14 team. But that didn’t deter Briscoe from racking them up anyway. His 126 Stage Points were tied for 12th best of all Cup Series charters. That includes 4 stage wins, which he earned at Bristol Dirt, Road America, Indianapolis Road Course, and Watkins Glen.
18.86 Career Average Finish @ Road Courses – Despite winning stages at three road courses this year, it would seem that Chase Briscoe’s average finish over the course of his career leaves a bit to be desired. Over the course of the 13 road course races he’s run in his Cup Series career, his average finish ranks 19th, at 18.86. Chase Briscoe was also seen as a road course guy at the Xfinity level, so it’s interesting to see his average finish not look better.
26 Lead Lap Finishes in 2022 – Tied for 8th best amongst Cup Series charters, Chase Briscoe’s 26 lead lap finishes were the sign of a great year. Not only was he the highest finisher of Stewart-Haas Racing’s stable (he finished with more points than Kevin Harvick), but he also worked hard to minimize his losses. It’s not always all about finishing on the lead lap, but you sure can make your life easier if you manage it!
237 Fast Laps in 2022 – Unfortunately, Stewart-Haas was not a juggernaut this year. Both Aric Almirola and Cole Custer missed the playoffs. The emergence of Trackhouse racing nearly took Stewart-Haas out of the Top 4 in teams. What is fascinating is just how well Chase Briscoe’s season turned out (including a trip to the Round of 8), despite not often being the fastest car on track. Over the course of a 36-race season, Briscoe’s 237 fast laps amount to just over 6.5 fast laps per race. For comparison, Kyle Larson led the Cup Series charters with more than double that number of fast laps. While so many factors can play a role in helping a driver earn a win, having a fast car is definitely one of the biggest helps.
Just recently, it was announced that Chase Briscoe had signed a multi-year contract extension to stay with Stewart-Haas Racing. It is believed the deal runs until 2025. Briscoe will return to his No. 14 Ford this season, hoping to build on an already impressive Cup Series career.
Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Ryan Blaney!
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @RacingRefresh
Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com
Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store!
Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!