The Dale Jr. Download

Episode: Chase Briscoe: If I Don't Win at JGR, Nobody Will Ever Hire Me Again
Airdate: August 27, 2025
Host: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Dirty Mo Media)
Guest: Chase Briscoe (NASCAR Cup Series Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing)

Episode Overview

Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits down with Chase Briscoe for a candid, wide-ranging conversation focused on Briscoe’s first season at Joe Gibbs Racing, heightened career expectations, the changing culture of top NASCAR teams, the evolving playoff format, technical changes in the sport, schedule shakeups, and life as a parent of three young children. Briscoe opens up on pressure, performance, family, and his passion for grassroots racing, creating an intimate and revealing portrait of a driver determined to prove himself at NASCAR’s highest level.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Motivation Through Doubt & Media Criticism

[00:49, 13:23]

• Briscoe shares that negative media picks motivate him:

  "I like it. I feel like it motivates me. Yeah, I read everything. Like I really...I love the negative." (Chase Briscoe, 00:55)

• He tracks critical predictions:

  "There was a guy yesterday, I saw that Randy the Plumber...he said not a legitimate shot. And I was like, oh man, I got it. I bookmark it." (Briscoe, 01:12)

2. JGR Transition: New Pressure, New Culture

[07:18, 08:31, 10:56]

• Moving from Stewart-Haas Racing to JGR, Briscoe felt his career essentially "started over":

  "I almost feel like I’ve started my career over again...the expectations at SHR and just going to the racetrack, like, it all felt so different than what I’m doing now." (Briscoe, 08:34)

• At JGR, the expectation is constant contention for wins, a major cultural shift:

  "Just the prep work, everything is more work just because the expectation is so much higher." (Briscoe, 09:45)

• Notable difference in team meetings:

  "At Bristol, we finished, I think, all four cars in the top seven. And the meeting was like, we ran 30th and worse. I was just like, this is crazy." (Briscoe, 09:00)

3. Leadership & Team Dynamics at JGR

[11:16]

• Crew chief Gabehart identified as the energy leader:

  "Yeah, Gabe Hart, definitely...he is so big in this role...I’ve never really been anywhere where somebody steered the ship as much as he has." (Briscoe, 11:16)

4. Playoff Approaches & Pressure as a Motor

[12:13, 13:29, 17:17, 16:41]

• JGR equipment changes playoff mentality:

  "At SHR it was more just try to maximize the day. Right. So that changes things." (Briscoe, 12:53)

• Briscoe thrives under pressure, stemming from humble beginnings:

  "I’ve always just loved those high pressure...like, this is the moment you have to show your worth." (Briscoe, 17:17)

• Dale Jr. reflects on Briscoe’s history of outperforming in challenging playoff moments:

  "You would take the SHR program and elevate in the playoffs. Right before the playoffs and during the playoffs, you would do things that you hadn’t done all year." (Earnhardt, 16:05)

5. Playoff Format: Debating Fairness and Changes

[19:39, 20:20, 21:37]

• Briscoe expresses concerns on the one-race championship format:

  "I don’t know if that was right...if you won all 35 races and then went to Phoenix or Homestead or wherever it is and blew up lap one, you would finish fourth in the championship...to me, that’s not right." (Briscoe, 21:35)

• He’s open to a “three race final round” to determine the title.

6. Family Life & Parenting Young Twins

[03:15, 04:08]

• Balancing chaos at home and at-track performance as a father of three:

  "It’s definitely been a big adjustment going from one to three all of a sudden." (Briscoe, 03:55)

• The uniqueness of twins’ personalities and “twin language”:

  "It’s wild though, just seeing how different they are already at this age, but how much they still interact with each other. Like the twin thing is definitely real." (Briscoe, 04:55)

7. Racing Technology: Car Differences, Soft Tires, and Strategy

[25:01, 28:50, 29:19, 30:09]

• JGR cars provide unprecedented ability:

  "It has more grip, it turns better and it goes faster. It’s unbelievable. It’s a great feeling." (Briscoe, 25:16)

• Discussing the racing product: Soft tires enhance competition if longer runs allow tire wear to matter:

  "Richmond I think would have been way better if we would have had to run longer...like, you were just about to have where there was this huge deviation in lap time, and then we would all pit for tires." (Briscoe, 29:53)

8. NASCAR Schedule Changes & Venue Insights

[48:09, 48:24, 49:12]

• Briscoe praises upcoming San Diego and Chicagoland additions, values extra off-weekends:

  "I like the two off weekends. The San Diego thing’s gonna be awesome...Chicagoland’s going to be awesome." (Briscoe, 48:09–49:28)

• Mixed feelings about Dover as All-Star venue:

  "I don’t know how I feel about Dover All Stars...I don’t know what to think of it." (Briscoe, 49:41)

9. Grassroots and Other Racing Passions

[37:08, 38:22, 39:03]

• Briscoe’s sprint car “retirement”; focus shifts to team ownership, not driving:

  "I just decided right there, I’m done. I’m not doing it anymore...I want to have a team so badly.” (Briscoe, 38:22)

• Interested in Late Model and IMSA sports car racing on occasion, but no plans to commit beyond Cup priorities.

10. Team Integration and Teammate Relationships

[45:03, 45:47]

• Briscoe's adjustment to new teammates, especially long-time friend Christopher Bell:

  "Me and Christopher have known each other since we were 11 or 12...I thought, was a big reason of why I even got to go over there in the first place." (Briscoe, 45:47)

• Denny Hamlin likened to Kevin Harvick in work ethic; Ty Gibbs brings different perspectives from lifelong JGR association.

11. All-Star Race Ideas and NASCAR Event Innovation

[50:43–56:48]

• Spirited brainstorming: introducing a multi-class All-Star race featuring Cup, Xfinity, and Truck playoff drivers:

  "I would have a 30 or 40 car field with all stars. I’d have the trucks out there, the Xfinity out there, and the Cup out there." (Earnhardt, 54:35)

• Discussion about the potential safety and excitement of mixed-class racing.

12. Bass Pro Shops Partnership, Outdoor Life, and Hobbies

[62:50, 63:52]

• Briscoe’s relationship with Johnny Morris & the added confidence of representing the brand:

  "The confidence I have just wearing, like, the Bass Pro brand...the Bass Pro shop is like the ultimate American brand." (Briscoe, 63:52)

• Dale and Chase bond over outdoor hobbies—fishing, bow hunting, and land management.

  "I go all the time. It’s been a curse for me now to have that little discount card." (Briscoe, 64:17) "That’s why I like bow hunting, is because you do. You literally can just grab the bow, run out in the driveway and fire off a few rounds..." (Earnhardt, 68:03)

Notable Quotes

• On thriving under pressure:

  "I've always loved those high pressure...this is the moment you have to show your worth." — Chase Briscoe, [17:17]

• On JGR expectations:

  "If I don't go and win at JGR, nobody's ever gonna hire me again." — Chase Briscoe, [08:34]

• On playoff formats:

  "If you won all 35 races and then went to Phoenix or Homestead or wherever...and blew up lap one, you would finish fourth...to me, that's not right." — Chase Briscoe, [21:35]

• On new tracks and schedule:

  "San Diego thing's gonna be awesome...Chicagoland's going to be awesome. As long as they don't repay it or do something crazy like Iowa." — Chase Briscoe, [48:09]

• On life changes:

  "Definitely been a big adjustment going from one to three all of a sudden." — Briscoe, [03:55]

• On leaving Sprint Cars:

  "Every time I was out there, I was truthfully driving kind of scared. Like I didn't want to get hurt. A lot of my buddies have been getting hurt and paralyzed and I'm like, what am I out here really doing?" — Briscoe, [37:08]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Media Motivation & Playoff Pressure: 00:49, 13:23
• Family Life & Parenting: 03:15–06:33
• JGR Transition & High Expectations: 07:17–11:16
• Team Culture & Leadership: 11:16
• Pressure, Playoffs & Performance: 12:13, 17:17
• Playoff Format Debate: 19:39–22:44
• Darlington/Manufacturer Prediction: 23:34
• JGR Car Differences: 25:01–26:51
• Tires, Racing Product & Track Discussion: 28:50–34:11
• All-Star Race Ideas: 50:43–56:57
• Grassroots Racing, Sprint Cars, and Extracurriculars: 37:08–44:33
• Bass Pro Shops & Outdoor Hobbies: 62:50–69:46

Memorable Moments

• Briscoe’s “I love the negative” mindset and bookmarking doubters ([00:55],[13:29])
• Describing the “culture shock” of JGR meetings after solid results ([09:00])
• Emotional retirement from driving sprint cars due to safety and family ([38:22])
• Spontaneous brainstorming of NASCAR All-Star race innovations, including multi-class racing ([54:30])
• Candid comparison of Denny Hamlin to Kevin Harvick ([46:11])
• Earnhardt and Briscoe swapping hunting and outdoor stories, discussing how Bass Pro partnership changed Briscoe’s fan interactions ([63:52])

Takeaways

• Briscoe is still hungry to prove himself, despite reaching elite-level teams.
• He thrives on doubters and performs best under pressure, a mindset forged in hardship.
• Culture at JGR is intense, work-driven, and expects excellence; Briscoe admires the leadership and preparation.
• NASCAR’s playoff and All-Star race formats are in flux; both host and guest believe there’s no perfect solution but support incremental changes.
• Briscoe is committed to his Cup career—has retired from dirt racing for safety/family, but dreams of sprint car team ownership.
• Life off-track is dominated by fatherhood, land management, and outdoor pursuits, which strengthen his overall fulfillment and perspective.
• The episode’s tone alternates between technical, reflective, and friendly, with genuine camaraderie and humor throughout.

This summary encapsulates critical insights, creative exchanges, and personal anecdotes from an episode spotlighting a NASCAR star at a crucial crossroads—on track, in the garage, and at home.