Chase Briscoe is set to undergo a crew chief swap at Stewart-Haas Racing as he heads into the NASCAR Playoffs at Kansas Speedway.
In an effort to boost Briscoe’s performance in the next stage of the Cup Series playoffs, SHR has decided to swap over-the-wall pit crews between Briscoe and Josh Berry, as revealed by FOX Sports reporter Bob Pockrass.
Pit-crew change for Round of 12 driver Chase Briscoe as SHR is making a swap of over-the-wall crews — Briscoe now has the over-the-wall crew that has done Josh Berry this year while Berry gets Briscoe crew. — Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 26, 2024
Although Briscoe and Berry are both competent drivers, Berry’s pit crew has consistently demonstrated exceptional performance throughout the season. Berry, not being a playoff contender, is less in need of top-tier pit support, making the swap a logical decision to maximize SHR’s overall performance at this point in the season.
Briscoe’s win at Darlington qualified him for the playoffs and his subsequent performances have seen a P6 finish at Watkins Glen and a P8 finish at Bristol, securing his advancement to the Round of 12 with relative ease.
Chase Briscoe, driver of the #14 Rush Truck Centers / Cummins Ford, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 20, 2024 in… Chase Briscoe, driver of the #14 Rush Truck Centers / Cummins Ford, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 20, 2024 in Bristol, Tennessee. Chase Briscoe swaps crew chiefs for Kansas. More Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
Kansas Speedway will act as the first test ground for Briscoe’s new crew setup. Historically, Briscoe has had a mixed relationship with the track, with his best qualifying position being P10 and his best finish at P13.
His performance in the Next Gen car at Kansas has similarly been underwhelming, with finishes at P24, P12, P32, P19, and P21. The question arises whether this pit crew change can substantially improve his performance at Kansas, given his historical struggles there.
Speaking after the race at Bristol which saw him through to the Round of 12, Briscoe commented, as quoted by NASCAR.com: