Briscoe Prevails in Tense Finish at Pocono
Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing clinched a dramatic victory in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono, deftly managing fuel strategy while under pressure from teammate Denny Hamlin. Briscoe led 72 of the 160 laps, ultimately securing his third career win and first since joining JGR at the start of the 2025 season. His victory marks him as the 11th different winner this year.
The race featured a series of incidents, notably multiple brake failures that affected several drivers, including those for 23XI Racing. As the race progressed to the final stage, the situation improved, but Briscoe faced a critical moment during his pit stop. He exited the pit just as the jack dropped, prompting a rigorous fuel-saving effort for the last 30 laps.
"It was kind of weird. I wasn’t driving hard… It was so hard to have a guy chasing you, probably the greatest of all time here," Briscoe reflected, acknowledging the pressure from Hamlin. "Thank you to all you race fans. It’s a sold-out crowd every time we come here… Amazing day for our race team."
Blaney finished third, with Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott rounding out the top five. The final laps saw high-stakes recalibrations; Keselowski, a contender throughout, faced setbacks, including a pit road misstep and subsequent loss of position after a late caution caused by Shane van Gisbergen.
The race concluded with Briscoe successfully defending his lead, despite Hamlin’s efforts to close the gap, emphasizing the vital role of fuel strategy in competitive racing.
NASCAR heads to TNT Sports for the next round, closing out a chapter of exclusive coverage on Prime Video.
