'Awesome feeling': Chase Briscoe edges Denny Hamlin at Pocono

LONG POND, Pa. -- Chase Briscoe returned to triumph lane Sunday astatine Pocono Raceway, conserving substance down the agelong to clasp disconnected Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin for his archetypal triumph with his caller contention team.

Briscoe raced his mode into an automatic spot successful NASCAR's playoffs with the triumph and gave the No. 19 Toyota its archetypal triumph since 2023 erstwhile Martin Truex Jr. had the ride. Briscoe mislaid his occupation astatine the extremity of past play astatine Stewart-Haas Racing erstwhile the squad folded and helium was tabbed to regenerate Truex successful the four-car JGR field.

Hamlin, who holds the way grounds with 7 wins, appeared connected the brink of reeling successful Briscoe implicit the final, thrilling laps lone to person not capable successful the No. 11 Toyota to snag that eighth Pocono win.

"It was conscionable truthful hard to person a feline chasing you, particularly the feline that's the top of each clip here," Briscoe said.

Briscoe, who won an Xfinity Series contention astatine Pocono successful 2020, raced to his 3rd vocation Cup triumph and archetypal since Darlington successful 2024.

Briscoe has been connected spot of a blistery streak, and had his 4th top-10 decorativeness implicit the past six races, including a seventh-place decorativeness successful past week's ballyhooed contention successful Mexico City.

He became the 11th operator to gain a spot successful the 16-driver tract with 9 races near until the tract is set.

Hamlin finished second. Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott completed the apical five.

Briscoe, a third-generation ungraded racer from Indiana, gave JGR its 18th Cup triumph astatine Pocono.

"To get present and yet present a triumph is conscionable an awesome feeling," helium said. "To beryllium capable to get Coach successful triumph lane aft taking a accidental connected me, it's conscionable truthful rewarding."

The contention was delayed 2 hours, 10 minutes by rainfall and the conditions were muggy by the clip the greenish emblem dropped. Briscoe led 72 laps and won the 2nd stage.

Briscoe wrote earlier the contention connected societal media, "Anybody going from Pocono to Oklahoma City aft the contention Sunday?" The Pacers instrumentality wasn't going to marque it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

He'll surely settee for a thrust to triumph lane.

MINOR SCARE ON PIT ROAD

There was a insignificant scare connected pit roadworthy erstwhile AJ Allmendinger struck a tyre successful the carrier's manus with his close beforehand broadside and sent it flying into the ribs of different team's unit subordinate successful the pit up of him. Jonpatrik Kealey, the rear tyre changer connected Shane van Gisbergen's contention team, was knocked connected each fours but finished enactment connected van Gisbergen's pit stop.

BRAKE TIME

Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell and Riley Herbst each had their races spoiled by brake issues.

"It was a scary feeling for sure," Herbst said. "I was conscionable starting to get tight, conscionable a atrocious accommodation connected my part. Getting into (turn) one, the brakes conscionable went to the floor. A brake rotor exploded and I was on for the ride."

UP NEXT

NASCAR heads to Atlanta. Christopher Bell won the archetypal contention astatine the way this play successful March.