DARLINGTON, SC – Chase Briscoe will make his eighth NASCAR Cup Series start at Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500. In his most recent appearance at the 1.366-mile track in May’s Goodyear 400, the Mitchell, Indiana native achieved his first top-10 finish at Darlington with a solid fifth-place result.
Before that, Briscoe had earned an average finish of 18.2 from five top-20 results in six previous starts, with his best finish being 11th in the 2021 Goodyear 400. Last year, he finished 15th in the Southern 500.
Darlington’s Challenge and Briscoe’s Success:
Known as “The Track Too Tough To Tame,” Darlington Raceway is nicknamed “Lady in Black” by the late sportswriter Benny Phillips. Briscoe has shown strong performances at Darlington in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, including a dramatic win on May 21, 2020. He edged out Kyle Busch by just 0.086 seconds in a thrilling finish where both drivers led 45 laps. This victory was Briscoe’s fourth in the Xfinity Series and remains one of his career highlights. In two other Xfinity races at Darlington, Briscoe finished sixth in August 2019 and 11th in September 2020.
Track History and HighPoint.com Partnership:
Darlington is celebrating its 74th anniversary this season and has hosted 126 NASCAR Cup Series races since its inaugural event on September 4, 1950, which was also the first 500-mile NASCAR race on asphalt. Johnny Mantz won the first race in a Plymouth with an average speed of 75.250 mph. In contrast, Kyle Larson’s win in last year’s Southern 500 featured an average speed of 120.906 mph and a race time of 4 hours, 8 minutes, and 47 seconds.
The “Lady in Black” nickname has inspired Briscoe’s black-and-white HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the Southern 500, a departure from the usual blue-and-white colors.
HighPoint.com, headquartered in Sparta, New Jersey, has been a key partner for Briscoe and Stewart-Haas Racing since 2020. They supported Briscoe’s successful Xfinity Series campaign, which led to his promotion to the Cup Series. Briscoe appreciates the partnership, highlighting HighPoint’s role in providing critical IT infrastructure for his team.
A Chance Encounter and Career Impact:
The partnership between HighPoint.com and Briscoe began with a chance meeting. In November 2019, Kevin Briscoe met HighPoint.com CEO Mike Mendiburu at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Mendiburu’s interest in Briscoe’s career eventually led to HighPoint sponsoring Briscoe for the 2020 season. This sponsorship played a crucial role in Briscoe’s successful season, which included nine victories and his subsequent move to the Cup Series.
Chase Briscoe on Darlington:
On Darlington as the regular-season finale: “I love Darlington. It’s one of my top three favorite tracks. The Southern 500 is a challenging and great way to start the playoffs. Finishing fifth there earlier this year gives us confidence that we can be competitive and maybe even win.”
On Darlington vs. Daytona: “At Darlington, you have more control over your race than Daytona. Darlington is a track where driving skill plays a bigger role, while Daytona relies more on drafting and positioning.”
On his last Darlington race: “Our performance in May was solid. We finished where we should have and learned a lot. We have a good foundation to build on for this race.”
On the Southern 500’s length: “The Southern 500 is more grueling than the Coke 600 because you’re constantly pushing the limits at Darlington. It’s physically demanding and requires both stamina and skill.”
On running close to the wall at Darlington: “You have to be precise at Darlington. Running close to the wall can make you faster, but it’s a fine line between gaining speed and hitting the wall.”
On finishing a Darlington race: “Earlier in my career, just finishing a race at Darlington felt like an accomplishment. Now, I see it differently. A clean car at Darlington might mean I wasn’t pushing hard enough.”
What makes Darlington challenging: “Darlington’s unique because it demands a lot from the driver and the car. It’s a track where you must adapt your driving style to the car’s performance.”
On his 2020 Xfinity win at Darlington: “Beating Kyle Busch at Darlington was a big confidence boost and helped establish me as a serious Cup Series contender. It’s still one of my greatest wins.”
On the historical aspect of Darlington: “Darlington feels like stepping into a time machine. The track has a timeless quality that captures the essence of early NASCAR.”
On the evolution of racing equipment: “It’s amazing how much safety and technology have advanced since the early days of NASCAR. The progress we’ve made in racing equipment is incredible.”
Chase Briscoe is set to take on Darlington again this Labor Day weekend, bringing a mix of confidence and respect for one of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks.
