04/08/2018
Briscoe Battles for 11th-Place Finish in First Career Xfinity Start at Texas
FORT WORTH, Tx. (April 7, 2018) – Chase Briscoe drove to an 11th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway, despite an unscheduled pit stop for a flat tire and a tight-handling Nutri Chomps Ford Mustang.
“We had an up and down day for sure,” said Briscoe. “Track position was so big. Overall, I wanted to get a top-10 for, but this is the best finish so far for the No. 60 and I feel like we are continuing to make gains every week. We will see what we can do next time.”
Briscoe started the race from the 21st position after qualifying Saturday morning was shortened due to inclement weather. The race began auspiciously, with three cautions in the first 15 laps of the 200-lap event. Briscoe maintained his track position until the end of the first stage, finishing 20th. At the stage break, crew chief Mike Kelley called Briscoe down pit road for four tires and handling adjustments to address a tight-handling condition.
When the sixth caution flag of the day flew just laps before the end of the second stage, Kelley made a strategy call to bring Briscoe back down pit road and sacrifice potential stage points for track position after the break. Briscoe ended the second stage 24th, but restarted for the third and final stage in the 12th position because of the strategy call.
Briscoe was able to drive into the top ten in the late stages of the race, but the handling on his Nutri Chomps Ford Mustang began to fade as his left front tire deteriorated. Briscoe was forced to come to pit road for an unscheduled green flag stop on lap 137, falling two laps behind the leaders. A caution-free remainder of the race forced the leaders to also visit pit road under green flag conditions and Briscoe was able to regain his laps. Briscoe was in the 12th position after the pit stops cycled through, and would pick up another spot as the No. 98 car had an unscheduled pit stop. Though he would lose a lap to the leader, Briscoe maintained his 11th position until the checkered flag.
