Briscoe’s No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford staff had come out of the gate sturdy this season, simply his second as a fulltime driver within the Cup Sequence.
He led extra laps within the season’s second race of the season at Fontana (20) than he did his whole rookie season after which shined at Phoenix in race No. 4, the place he led 101 laps and earned his first collection victory.
Briscoe, 27, vaulted to as excessive as third within the standings following Atlanta however then hit a tough five-race stretch the place he had one end higher than twentieth.
That’s circled in his previous three races, ending fourth within the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and a decent thirteenth at Sonoma. He ended up twenty fourth at Gateway however received the pole and led the primary 27 laps of the race till he was pressured to pit below inexperienced for a flat left-rear tire and fell a lap down.
Requested if he thought his efficiency was “again on observe” Briscoe mentioned, “Nicely, you continue to should get to Phoenix. In case you don’t get to Phoenix (the championship race), it doesn’t matter how good you might be.
“In case you had requested me that 4 or 5 weeks in the past, I might have mentioned no manner. However we obtained again to what we had been doing in the beginning of the yr and I really feel like we have now our pace again. Hopefully, we will proceed this.”
Main SHR within the win column
Briscoe stays the one SHR driver with a win to date this season and the one one assured of a playoff spot.
SHR teammate Aric Almirola is at the moment excessive sufficient in factors to get within the 16-driver playoff discipline however that would change if there are extra new winners within the final 10 races of the common season.
Nonetheless, Briscoe doubts anybody this yr might be known as a real favourite for the title.
“I don’t assume there’s a championship favourite. There are loads of guys who’re succesful,” he mentioned. “This Subsequent Gen automobile, it’s so bizarre how it’s. One week you might be actually good and the following week you might be manner, manner off.
“We simply should proceed to get higher and put ourselves able to maintain attempting to run up entrance. If we do this and get to Phoenix, I’m assured we will go there and battle. It’s only a matter of getting there.
“In case you aren’t one of many ultimate 4 guys, it doesn’t matter how good you might be there.”
Subsequent Gen a better transition for brand new drivers
Briscoe maintains since he’s comparatively new to the Cup Sequence, adjusting to the Subsequent Gen automobile hasn’t been fairly as steep of a studying curve as maybe some veterans, who had discovered and mastered each nuisance of the earlier automobile.
“Honestly, with the IMSA stuff I’ve executed, it’s form of much like that really feel, so I wouldn’t say that I’ve had as a lot muscle reminiscence to relearn or neglect about switching from the previous automobile,” he mentioned.
“I haven’t had any points – knock on wooden – however it’s totally different, I believe, for the fellows who’ve executed it for a very long time and try to retrain themselves with loads of these issues.”