DAYTONA BEACH — Chase Briscoe has one job during Daytona 500 qualifying Wednesday night.
“I just try to be the one to not really screw it up,” he said.
At least that’s the way he views it.
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Briscoe developed into NASCAR’s qualifying ace last season. He led the Cup Series with six pole victories after claiming the first before the opener at Daytona International Speedway.
“I don’t really have anything to do with it as long as I don’t screw up shifting and pushing the pedal down as hard as I can,” Briscoe said during Daytona 500 media day. “… It’s all about the guys and everybody at JGR and Toyota. That’s really the focus for what this night is.”
In addition to his qualifying prowess, the 31-year-old broke out in 2025. He earned three victories during his first season in Martin Truex’s old No. 19 car for Joe Gibbs Racing, boosting his career total to five.
He cracked the championship 4 and finished third in the final standings.
He placed fourth in the Daytona 500 after securing the pole.
“Pit stall is big for Sunday depending on where you end up, if you’re first or second,” he said. “Pit stall No. 1 is a huge advantage for yellow-flag stops, but it’s a bit of a disadvantage for green-flag stops.”
Why’s that?
“Just because the guys that are running 60 miles per hour are already at the right speed,” he said. “They hit that yellow line, and they’re going faster. It just takes you longer to get caught up.
“Under yellow, (having the first pit stall) is a massive advantage because you’re going a shorter distance at that speed. But under green, it definitely makes it where you can’t pull out and block guys when they’re running 60 and you’re coming from a stop.
“It makes it a little bit of a disadvantage under green. It’s just harder to blend in, because when we all are going, you’re maybe only going 40 and they’re going 60 already. It just puts you a little bit behind when you’re green.”
But winning the pole does provide some confidence — and alleviate some anxiety.
“That’s the biggest thing,” he said. “Just being able to really focus on the rest of the week when you start up front … It just makes your Duels a little less stressful.”
When is Daytona 500 qualifying tonight?
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Chase Briscoe has simple view of Daytona 500 qualifying
Reporting by Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
