NASCAR driver Chase Briscoe has laughed off the amusing way his move to Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) was revealed. Briscoe is set to replace Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 Toyota Camry XSE for the 2025 NASCAR season, and the news was unintentionally leaked by fellow driver Christopher Bell. Despite the slip-up, Briscoe found the situation amusing and took it in stride.
This move signifies the end of Briscoe’s time at Stewart-Haas Racing, where he has spent his entire NASCAR Cup Series career. Briscoe’s journey in NASCAR started in 2017 when he made his Truck Series debut. He made a significant impact in the Xfinity Series, where he secured nine wins during the 2020 season. However, with Stewart-Haas Racing shutting down at the end of 2024, Briscoe, like several other drivers, had to seek a new team. Martin Truex Jr.’s decision to step away from full-time racing opened up the No. 19 seat at JGR, creating an ideal opportunity for Briscoe.
At JGR, Briscoe will pilot the No. 19 Toyota, with Bass Pro Shops as the primary sponsor. His current crew chief, James Small, will continue to work with him. The news of his move was accidentally revealed by Christopher Bell during a media session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Despite the blunder, Briscoe didn’t immediately catch on due to poor cell reception at the track.
Briscoe later humorously recalled the moment he learned of the accidental leak during an appearance on the Dinner With Racers podcast. He shared, “At New Hampshire, there’s no signal. Once you leave the motorhome lot, there’s no connection. I was going around in a sprint car, and Christopher was parked across from me, so I went over to chat with him. He knew I was moving to Joe Gibbs Racing, and we were joking about it. I told him I had to go to the sprint car race, so I said goodbye.”
Briscoe continued, “As I was leaving the lot, I got a text from Christopher that just said, ‘Chase, I really f–ed up, I’m sorry.’ I had no idea what he meant at the time. I thought he’d just said something off-hand. Later, when I was at the sprint car track, a reporter came up to me and asked, ‘What do you think about what Christopher said earlier?’ I was confused, so I asked, ‘What are you talking about?’ The reporter showed me the clip where Christopher had revealed I was going to JGR. It was hilarious.”
Joe Gibbs Racing quickly responded to the unintended announcement, confirming the news and holding an official press conference to introduce Briscoe as the new driver for the No. 19 car in 2025.
