Chase Briscoe’s love and respect for Tony Stewart is not hidden from the NASCAR world. The 22-year-old star from Indiana often displays his admiration for the NASCAR legend and has praised him, often attributing Stewart for his success and idolizing his racing style. His dedication helped him to earn Stewart’s iconic no. 14 seat in SHR in his rookie year.
Now, in a candid conversation, Briscoe shared some glimpses of his childhood memories. He reflected on how Steward’s dedication and passion for racing helped him to build a career in NASCAR.
Chase Briscoe recalls his childhood memories of Tony Stewart
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Chase Briscoe prepares to drive the iconic no.19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2025 season. The rising star of NASCAR will step in to fill the seat vacated by veteran driver Martin Truex Jr. However, ahead of this massive career transition, Briscoe revealed how Tony Stewart influenced his childhood and racing career.
In an episode of the Dinner with Racers podcast, Chase Briscoe spoke more about his journey to NASCAR and revealed how Stewart influenced his career. He recalled his childhood memories and shared what made him fall in love with Stewart. “I was always a die-hard Tony fan because this guy I could watch on TV on Sunday would like to come back and run a Sprint car or a Midget and be at our home track. And that was like crazy for me. This, the fact that this guy can watch on TV is racing in my home track. So that’s always been the draw for me for Tony just from an early age,” Briscoe said while recalling his childhood memories.
Tony Stewart, whose roots lie in Sprint Car racing, became a legendary figure by excelling in both NASCAR and Sprint Car events during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Stewart has a record of winning the USAC Triple Crown in a single year i.e. in 1995. Additionally, Stewart has three World of Outlaws and six All-Star Circuit of Champions victories under his belt. Despite transitioning to NASCAR Stewart often participated in different sprint races across the country.
via Getty SOUTH BOSTON, VIRGINIA – JUNE 25: Tony Stewart #14 climbs into his car prior to the Camping World Superstar Racing Experience event at South Boston Speedway on June 25, 2022 in South Boston, Virginia. (Photo by Jared Tilton/SRX/Getty Images)
This dual commitment to Sprint Car and NASCAR racing played a significant role in shaping Briscoe’s understanding of the sport. Watching Stewart seamlessly transition between the two helped Briscoe appreciate the importance of NASCAR as the next step in a Sprint car driver’s journey.
“I didn’t really understand what NASCAR was until I got old enough to realize that, hey, all these guys that are really, really good in the Sprint car world, like that’s the next step. Like, you run Sprint cars, then you go to NASCAR, you go to IndyCar, whatever. Yeah. Growing up, I just thought Tony Stewart races on TV and then came in races and rented cars. How cool is that?” explained Briscoe Briscoe.
Notably, Chase Briscoe is third third-generation racer. His grandfather and father have been famous Sprint Car team owners and racers. Despite this generational wealth of sprint car racing knowledge, Briscoe chose a different path to pursue his career in NASCAR. He started amazingly by graduating to the topmost series within four years of his NASCAR Truck Series debut. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 2021 and registered his first career win in 2022.
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Briscoe Family’s emotional connect with Sprint Car Racing
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Chase Briscoe’s racing journey starts with his grandfather Richard Briscoe who used to own a sprint car team. Richard started a sprint car venture in 1976 after a heartbreaking incident halted his racing career. In his iconic career, Richard had fielded cars with multiple drivers like Jack Hewitt and Rich Vogler.
Speaking about his grandfather’s legacy Chase Briscoe said, “So, my grandpa bought a Sprint car, said I’m goanna go race this thing. And the second night he was racing, his best friend got killed. And he’s like man, I don’t, I don’t know if this is really what I need to be doing with the family, but he’s loved racing. So, he’s like, I’m just gonna work on him and I’ll own the car, and I’ll hire drivers. So, he started doing that and turned into a really successful owner, had over 500 wins… I think there were 13 National Sprint Car Hall of Famers that I’ve driven for him.”
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Richard Briscoe has fielded cars for as many as 37 different drivers in his career. He is one of the most successful team owners in the history of Sprint Cars. However, his son and Chase’s father Kevin Briscoe had some other plans. He joined the racing himself and registered more than 150 victories in his 20-year-long career.
Earlier, this year Briscoe relaunched his family’s iconic sprint car team under the brand of Chase Briscoe Racing. As his father, Kevin, serves as the crew chief Briscoe drives the iconic No. 5 red-and-white-striped car. In his absence, 21-year-old Karter Sarff drives the car. While announcing the same 29-year-old driver had said that Sprint Car Racing was his first love.