Cup Series: Chase Briscoe saves fuel to win in Pocono

Bailey Defoor
Jun 23
5 min read

Written by Bailey Defoor

Credit: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Chase Briscoe locks himself into the playoffs with his first win of the season at Pocono after saving fuel in the last stages of the race.

As it unfolded

Denny Hamlin came back in fashion after missing last week’s race in Mexico City by putting himself on pole alongside Chris Buescher.

Hamlin got a clean start as Buescher and Carson Hocevar slitted into second and third.

On lap 18, Hocevar goes sideways off of turn 3 and clips the outside wall, but keeps going. Tyler Reddick passed Hocevar for third on lap 19.

On lap 24, Briscoe passed Hocevar. Cole Custer also passed Hocevar momentarily on the same lap, but Hocevar switched up on the inside and retook fifth place.

A few drivers pit just before the end of the stage.

Stage 1 Results:

No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 17 - Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)
No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)
No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 43 - Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club)
No. 38 - Zane Smith (23XI Racing)
No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)
No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

After a round of pit stops, Buescher comes off pit road first, and Brad Keselowski and Hocevar cycle around to the front.

Keselowski and Ty Gibbs line up for the restart on lap 36, and Hocevar gives Keselowski a push, getting the two ahead.

The first incident-related caution was brought out on lap 42 when Riley Herbst hit the wall at turn 1. Some drivers pit from outside the top eight.

Keselowski and Hocevar lead the way once again on lap 49. Hocevar drops down to the inside, trying to challenge for the lead, but was unable to make the move stick.

Bubba Wallace blows a tyre on lap 54 and brings out the caution on lap 55.

Keselowski comes down pit road on lap 57, despite pit road being closed, and Hocevar leads. A couple of laps later, all lead drivers pit, and Hocevar falls seven places on pit road. Joey Logano leads.

Logano and Austin Cindric lined up for the restart on lap 61, and Logano went away with the lead. Alex Bowman moved up to second. At the restart, Hocevar started down in 19th place, and by the end of the first restart lap, he was up to fifth.

Bowman takes the lead on lap 63 at the tunnel turn by sweeping to the inside of Logano.

Hocevar also cut in front of Cindric, who fell back to fourth in the opening laps of the restart, and moved up another place.

On lap 65, Hocevar was right on the back bumper of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The two stuck together throughout the stage, but they stayed as they were.

Michael McDowell has a little contact with the wall and pops a tyre on lap 75. McDowell was able to make it back to pit road, but a caution was called on lap 78 for debris on the track.

Many drivers dart into the pit lane. Notably, Stenhouse Jr. and Hocevar stay out, taking over the front row. Keselowski is also up to third after recovering from the penalty of itting while pit road was closed on lap 57.

Stenhouse Jr. and Hocevar lead the way on lap 81. Hocevar cleared for the lead before Briscoe surged from behind Hocevar to take the lead. Hocevar falls back to third behind Stenhouse Jr. once again.

On lap 83, there was an issue with Ross Chastain’s car as he slowed on the track. Behind him, Kyle Busch gets loose, collecting Ty Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, and Christopher Bell in the process. Reddick also goes behind the wall despite not being involved in the wreck.

Under the caution on lap 85, Hocevar pits along with Austin Dillon. They come out in 25th and 26th, respectively.

Stenhouse Jr. and Briscoe lead the way on lap 88. Josh Berry was initially ahead of Briscoe, but Briscoe got back ahead and stuck in the lead. Berry followed and got ahead of Stenhouse Jr.

Stenhouse Jr. starts falling back as Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Buescher all get past him. Stenhouse Jr. kept falling back until he was out of the top 10, finally being passed by Hocevar for the last position.

Stage 2 Results:

No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)
No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 17 - Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)
No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)
No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)
No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

Briscoe on the outside and Berry on the inside line up for the restart on lap 101. Briscoe gets the initial lead, diving for the inside while Buescher swept around the outside of Berry for second.

On lap 119, drivers started pitting under the green flag. Briscoe pits from the lead on lap 120. Buescher leads.

Buescher pits on lap 122, and Ryan Blaney takes the lead.

On lap 125, van Gisbergen spins out of turn 1 and taps the wall, bringing out the seventh caution. Some drivers opt to pit, including race leader Keselowski.

Briscoe retakes the lead with Hamlin on the inside for the restart. They go back to green on lap 130. Briscoe clears Hamlin easily and Blaney battles with Hamlin for third.

Hamlin passed Blaney and started charging for Briscoe on lap 131.

In the last 10 laps, Hamlin was closer and not burning as much fuel. With 7 to go, Hamlin really started to fight for the lead.

However, Hamlin could not catch up to Chase Briscoe, who saved to win in Pocono and secure himself into the playoffs!

Provisional Results