Chase Briscoe delivered a stunning upset at the Cook Out Southern 500, securing an improbable victory and clinching a spot in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Briscoe, who entered the final regular-season race at Darlington Raceway needing nothing short of a miracle, outlasted the competition and held off a hard-charging Kyle Busch to punch his ticket to the playoffs.
Heading into the race, Briscoe’s chances looked slim. With Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) struggling in what is set to be their final season before shutting down, and with Briscoe sitting 20th in the standings, 144 points behind Chris Buescher, a win was his only path to the playoffs. Meanwhile, Buescher, Bubba Wallace, and Ross Chastain were embroiled in a tight battle for the final playoff spots.
The odds seemed stacked against Briscoe, especially as Kyle Larson dominated much of the race, leading 263 of the 367 laps. However, Briscoe’s fortunes began to change when Buescher’s pace faltered after being squeezed into the wall by Todd Gilliland. A timely pit stop following Carson Hocevar’s crash kept Briscoe in contention.
The turning point came with just 16 laps to go, as Briscoe passed race leader Chastain, who had stayed out on worn tires in a desperate bid to make the playoffs. Wallace’s hopes were dashed shortly after when he was caught in a multi-car wreck that also involved Briscoe’s teammates.
Briscoe then found himself in the lead, with Busch closing in fast. The duel between the two evoked memories of their 2020 Xfinity Series battle at Darlington, where Briscoe also emerged victorious. Despite brushing the wall again, Briscoe managed to hold off Busch, who admitted he needed a few more laps to have a chance at the win.
Reflecting on the tense final laps, Briscoe said, “After I watched Kyle Busch pit behind me, here he is in second. I’m like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. I’ve worked 300 some laps to get to the lead, now Kyle is going to steal it from us.’”
Busch, while disappointed, acknowledged Briscoe’s win, saying, “Maybe I am a washed up old dog, but hopefully I can find a few more trophies.”
This victory marks Briscoe’s first win since 2022 and secures his place as the 13th seed in the playoffs. While SHR has faced significant challenges, Briscoe remains optimistic about their chances in the postseason. “We have 11 chances left to do it. We’ve been decent this year. Been close a couple times,” Briscoe noted, reflecting on the team’s performance.
With SHR set to close its doors at the end of the season, Briscoe is determined to give the team one last shot at glory. “If we do what we did tonight, we can beat anybody,” he said, emphasizing his belief in the team’s potential to go all the way.
The playoff battle is now on, and Briscoe will need to continue his underdog run by either winning one of the next three races or securing enough points to advance to the Round of 12. With everything on the line, Briscoe and SHR are poised to make a final push for the championship in what could be the team’s swan song.
