Chase Briscoe Stretches Fuel to First NASCAR Cup Series Win of 2025 at Pocono

Chase Briscoe added his name to the list of NASCAR Cup Series winners for Joe Gibbs Racing on Sunday, taking the checkered flag in The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway.

The Mitchell, Indiana driver inherited the lead following a lap 126 caution for a Shane Van Gisbergen spin, and held off teammate Denny Hamlin for the victory.

Race Results: NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono

While Briscoe led the final 34 laps, it was a nerve-wracking fight to the finish. After a miscue during his final pit stop, Briscoe was forced to save fuel throughout the last stint of the 400-mile race. Despite saving fuel, Briscoe had enough pace to stay in front of a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner at Pocono.

This proved to be incredibly stressful for Briscoe in his pursuit of his third career NASCAR Cup Series win.

"It was a lot," said Briscoe. "It was kind of weird. I wasn't driving hard, so it's not like I was on the ragged edge, but it was just so hard to have a guy chasing you, right? Especially the guy that's probably the greatest of all time here, to be trying to save fuel and everything else."

In some ways, the need to save fuel may have been a blessing for Briscoe. By his own admission, the situation prevented him from overdriving and missing his marks in the closing laps.

"Anybody that's worked with me knows I'm normally overdriving, missing my marks all the time. It's crazy when you slow down. My dad tells me all the time, if you slow down, you'd probably go faster. It was true there."

The win is a special one for Briscoe, his first since joining Joe Gibbs Racing ahead of the 2025 season. Now, he can pursue a championship after punching his ticket to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

"It's huge," said Briscoe. "I mean, I literally grew up racing my Sprint Car video game in a Joe Gibbs Racing Home Depot uniform. To be able to get Coach in victory lane after, like I said, them taking a chance on me is just so rewarding, truthfully. You know, just such a big weight off my shoulders.

"I've been telling my wife for the last two weeks, I have to win. Finally, to come here and do it, it's just been a great day."

Hamlin finished second, with Ryan Blaney coming home third. Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five.

Brad Keselowski led 27 laps and finished ninth on a roller-coaster day. First, Keselowski pitted from the lead while pit road was still closed under caution, dropping him to the rear of the field. He moved back into the lead on lap 124, staying out during the final green-flag pit cycle, but the lap 126 caution mired him in the pack for the ensuing restart.

Van Gisbergen, coming off a win in the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series event at Mexico City, was one of several drivers collected in a multi-car incident just past the halfway mark. The incident started with Kyle Busch getting loose underneath Todd Gilliland.

The next event for the NASCAR Cup Series is the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart at EchoPark Speedway on Saturday, June 28. Coverage for the event will be on TNT, the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

-Photo credit: Matthew T. Thacker, Lumen Digital Agency for Toyota Gazoo Racing