For the first time in this countdown, there is a driver swap for the team covered in the article. After a couple of years of speculation, Martin Truex Jr decided 2024 would be his final fulltime season. Announced in the middle of the year, Truex’s departure opened the door for Joe Gibbs Racing to go after the top free agent: Chase Briscoe. With Chase Briscoe stepping into the 19 car, is there more or less potential compared to what Truex did? The countdown keeps trucking along, as there are 31 Days to Daytona as it is time to cover the Joe Gibbs Racing #19 team.
The #19 Team
Driver: Chase Briscoe
Crew Chief: James Small
Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Reser’s Fine Food
2024 Statistics:Â 1 Win, 3 Top-5s, 9 Top-10s, 43 Laps Led, 18.8 Average Finish
2025 Season Preview
Welcoming the Pressure
Moving from a dwindling Stewart-Haas Racing to one of the top teams in the sport will certainly bring significant pressure. Especially considering that the 19 team is championship worthy, Chase Briscoe will have to hit the ground running. Immediately, the performances will have to improve compared to his overall tenure at SHR. While there were highlights, including the Southern 500 last year, Briscoe will need to be more consistent in running inside the Top-5/10. The hot seat should not be present in year one, but a mediocre 2025 could spell the burner turning on.
Elevate, Not Replace
Replacing Martin Truex Jr is going to be no small feat. Chase Briscoe understands that and welcomes the challenge. With that said, the goal for the 19 team this season is to improve upon how the past 46 races went. After winning the 2023 regular season championship, the 19 team has not been to victory lane and overall has been a bit middling. The hope is that Briscoe is the shot in the arm the team needs. Based on the decline that Stewart-Haas Racing endured in the 2020s, many think that Briscoe is more talented than the equipment showed. This season will certainly be a litmus test for that sentiment.
Bringing Joe Gibbs Racing to Victory Lane
Chase Briscoe has been a race winner more recently than any Joe Gibbs Racing driver. While the organization racked up 6 wins last year, they failed to do so after Christopher Bell’s New Hampshire win. The 19 team did come close to nabbing a win in Martin Truex Jr’s retirement season. However, circumstances did not allow for them to finish the job. Heading into 2025, Chase Briscoe and James Small will look to bring JGR back into victory lane. While many will tab Christopher Bell to be the first to do so, you cannot rule out Briscoe and the 19 team picking up an early season win.
Daytona 500 Outlook
Outside a third place finish in the 2022 Daytona 500, Chase Briscoe has not found a lot of success at Daytona. Last year saw 2 Top-15 finishes, but with only 2 laps led and little other to note. Now joining Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota, Briscoe will be utilizing new alliances and strategies to work the draft and fuel. Based on how the Toyotas have performed in the NextGen, there is not too much faith that Briscoe will drastically improve now that he is in the 19 car.
With that said, Toyota did sweep the duels last year and picked up a superspeedway win at Talladega. Maybe this season can see a breakout of TRD on the drafting tracks. For Briscoe, expect a solid qualifying effort followed by a routine performance in the duels. Toyota has yet to put a car on the front row for the 500 in the NextGen era, so it would not be wise to expect the 19 there this year. As for the Daytona 500, Chase Briscoe has as good of shot as anyone else.
Days to Daytona Countdown
40 Days: Team Penske #22; 39 Days: Team Penske #12; 38 Days: Hendrick #24;
37 Days: 23XI Racing #45; 36 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #20;
35 Days: Hendrick Motorsports #5; 34 Days: Hendrick Motorsports #9
33 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #11, 32 Days: Henrick Motorsports #48
