Chase Briscoe achieved a personal milestone at Chicagoland Speedway, bringing NASCAR back to Joliet after a hiatus since 2019. The racer from Mitchell, Indiana, emerged victorious in the eero 400, celebrating an All-American dream by mimicking a fishing action, attributing it to his Bass Pro Shops sponsorship. “I felt like that was the most American I’ll ever feel in my life,” Briscoe remarked, appreciating the significance of winning in a red, white, and blue-themed car on Independence Day weekend during America’s 250th year.
Briscoe held off a strong challenge from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell to secure his first Cup Series victory of the season. A sold-out crowd witnessed his success at Chicagoland Speedway. Meanwhile, points leader Denny Hamlin enhanced his lead with a third-place finish. William Byron led 94 laps, claiming victories in the first two stages but ended up in fourth position, narrowly beating Alex Bowman, the 2019 Chicagoland Speedway champion.
Among the top finishers were Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Ty Gibbs, Corey Heim, and Riley Herbst. Tyler Reddick, who was a single point behind Hamlin in the standings before the race, faced challenges. Reddick finished 36th due to a radiator issue which forced him to the garage. Briscoe maintained his lead with 42 laps remaining, despite Bell’s aggressive pursuit. Briscoe mentioned, “I’d be lying if I didn’t say that when I saw him coming I was like, ‘Of course, I’m going to get beat at the end on tires and be the last guy to not win at JGR,’ but I was already driving as hard as I could. I just knew I had to be perfect.”
Previously, Briscoe had clinched an ARCA race at Chicagoland Speedway in 2016. He expressed his excitement, saying, “I haven’t been able to win on a 1.5-mile track in the Cup Series before now. It’s really cool to win at one of them. I feel like they’re a staple of what the Cup Series is.” He emphasized the sentimental value of winning at one of his favorite tracks in the Midwest.
Local legend Mike Alstott, a former Joliet Catholic star and Tampa Bay Buccaneers fullback, had the honor of driving the pace car to start the race. Alstott shared his pride, saying, “It’s great to be back home and to be here representing NASCAR and Joliet in the pace car. I understand the NASCAR community and how loyal they are and how they love their races and their drivers and the whole experience.”
The event had a connection to football as well, with Joe Gibbs, a Hall of Fame NFL coach, witnessing his team’s car triumph. Gibbs reflected on the occasion, saying, “It’s a special weekend. I appreciate everyone in Chicago, and it’s just great being back here. There are so many great fans. For Chase and our team, it’s just great and it means so much to us.”
Christopher Bell, part of Gibbs’ team, finished closely behind, acknowledging the tough competition. “It was a great day,” Bell commented. “We almost went to victory lane. Toyotas are fast. It seems like a monkey can drive them. It’s just disappointing when you get beat by another monkey.”
Briscoe seized another reason to celebrate, winning on the birthday of his crew chief, James Small. When asked if he brought a gift, Briscoe humorously responded, “This was it. For James, this is as good as it’s going to get.”