Chase Briscoe’s results haven’t fully reflected how the No. 19 Toyota has performed in underlying performance metrics. Briscoe may sit in eighth place in the Chase for the Cup standings and 123 points behind leader Kyle Larson. But NASCAR/Racing Insights’ advanced metrics paint a different picture.
Via NASCAR.com’s George Winkler, “…his (Briscoe’s) numbers have been comparable to the top drivers, ranking first in restarts and defense, second in pit crew, fourth in passing and seventh in speed.”
That’s a remarkable profile for a driver sitting eighth in the standings. Briscoe is consistently one of the top drivers in each of these underlying categories, even if his finishes don’t always reflect it.
That said, the standings are results-driven, while the metrics Winkler listed show us how a driver performs during the race. Briscoe is a perfect example of a driver executing well on the track, but coming up short when the stakes are at their highest.
Kansas Proved That The Opposite Can Also Be True For Chase Briscoe
At Kansas, the opposite proved true. Winkler also pointed this out. Winkler wrote, “At Kansas, Briscoe had a rough day by his standards: Although he was first in pit crew, with a record-breaking stop mixed in, he was seventh in speed and passing, 10th in defense and 17th on restarts. ”
Other than pit crew, Briscoe’s metrics took a hit in passing, defense, and restarts. The latter two were particularly eye-popping, since Briscoe sat nine and 16 points lower, respectively, than his usual standard on defense and restarts.
Despite the lower metrics, Briscoe notched a fourth-place finish. This further shows that metrics, when you look at them in both ways (better metrics and average finishes, average metrics and better finishes), can contradict actual results both in individual races and in the standings.
Las Vegas Gives Briscoe A Chance To Close The Gap
Regardless of what his in-race metrics will say this Sunday, Briscoe has a chance to gain ground. He finished eighth at the first Las Vegas race and has an average finish of 12.2 at the 1.5-mile intermediate tracks in 2026.
That ranks ninth out of the drivers who qualified for the Chase. However, Briscoe’s last two finishes at the 1.5-mile intermediates have been a win at Chicagoland and, as mentioned, fourth at Kansas.
Briscoe also had two poor finishes at the 1.5-mile ovals, taking 23rd at Texas and 34th at Charlotte. Still, he has winning speed, evidenced further by his third-place finish at the first Kansas race.
Heading into Sunday’s race at Las Vegas, if Briscoe keeps his car out of trouble, there is a realistic chance he snags a top-10 or even a top-5 finish, no matter what his metrics say.
The Standings Can Tell Half The Story
Briscoe’s eighth-place position in the Chase makes him look like a second-tier contender. But his performance metrics indicate he’s a much stronger driver than the final race results suggest.
As the most recent Kansas race showed, the script can flip. And it almost seems like Chase Briscoe is the classic case of a driver/athlete being stronger in one area (performance metrics/results), average in another, but inconsistently strong in both.
Still, Las Vegas gives him a chance to see if his strong overall performance at the intermediates will turn into a result that can inch him closer to Larson.
Chase Briscoe’s NASCAR Metrics Tell Different Story Than The Chase Standings