Kenny Wallace has spoken out about the controversy surrounding Chase Briscoe wearing a shirt with a Toyota logo on it, sparking a debate among fans and commentators. Wallace explained on his X account that the shirt in question was not a Toyota-branded shirt, but a Bass Pro shirt, Briscoe’s future sponsor.
Kenny Wallace’s comments came after Kevin Harvick pointed out on his podcast that Briscoe’s choice of clothing was a “big mistake” and that he should have been more careful not to offend anyone. At a recent event, Chase Briscoe was announced as the new driver of Martin Truex Jr.’s #19 Toyota Camry. Controversy arose when Briscoe showed up wearing a black shirt that featured a small Toyota logo in the top right corner and a Bass Pro Shops logo prominently placed in the center. Kevin Harvick expressed skepticism on his podcast about Chase Briscoe wearing a shirt with Toyota’s logo on it, believing it was a major oversight. Harvick pointed out:
“I think it was a big oversight by Chase to wear the Toyota logo while kitted out.”
He compared it to when Stewart-Haas Racing introduced Josh Berry, making sure Berry only wore gear with Stewart-Haas’ logo on it. The team worked with Junior Motorsports to make sure everything was handled with care.
Harvick said that even though Briscoe was moving from a struggling team, it was still important not to upset Ford. However, Kenny Wallace countered this view, saying the shirt was actually from Bass Pro Shops and not primarily a Toyota promotional item. Wallace defended Briscoe on his X account, saying he couldn’t blame Briscoe for the incident and suggested the situation may have been exaggerated.
“First of all, that wasn’t a Toyota shirt. I’m not against Harvick or Kaitlyn or the Mamba. Check out the shirt! […] It’s a Bass Pro shirt. I get it, when you load up a little mini toy here and a joke there, there’s a lot going on.” So I’m not going to blame Chase Briscoe for this.”
He added:
“If Ford says this is a big mistake, I say this is a big mistake for Joe Gibbs Racing because they got Chase the shirt. Listen, you can’t expect people to be perfect, okay? People are doing the best they can. So I don’t think it’s a big mistake on Chase Briscoe’s part.”
Wallace went on to explain what probably happened, saying that when Briscoe showed up, he was handed a Bass Pro Shops shirt, which happened to have a little two-inch Toyota logo on it. Given the excitement at the time, he didn’t expect this small detail to cause controversy.
Ty Gibbs shares his views on Chase Briscoe joining the team in 2025
Ty Gibbs, who has been with Joe Gibbs Racing for three years, expressed his excitement about Chase Briscoe joining the team. After speaking directly with the upcoming JGR driver, Ty Gibbs said: [via Daily Express US]
“It’s really cool. I think Chase will be a really good teammate for me and for our organization. I’m happy to have him join us and I’m excited for their future. Chase has a wealth of experience, so I think his feedback will be very helpful.” Hopefully we can work well together and make a good team, and I’m glad he’s here.”
Chase Briscoe will be driving his No. 14 Ford in the upcoming Chicago Street Race. Last year, Briscoe started 16th and finished 20th.
