NASCAR: 4 possible landing spots for Chase Briscoe in 2021
By Asher Fair
Chase Briscoe has emerged as a breakout star in the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Where will he end up competing next year?
Largely overshadowed by the “Big 3” of Tyler Reddick, Cole Custer and Christopher Bell, all of whom were promoted to the NASCAR Cup Series ahead of the 2020 season, Chase Briscoe began the 2020 Xfinity Series season as one of the favorites to contend for the title.
Briscoe only won one race in his first season as the full-time driver of the #98 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing last year, but his consistency in securing top five and top 10 finishes coupled with the fact that he finished in fifth place in the championship standings as the highest non-Championship 4 driver made him the driver to watch entering this year.
The only non-“Big 3” driver he finished behind was Justin Allgaier, who has yet to win a title in nine seasons of Xfinity Series competition.
The 25-year-old Mitchell, Indiana native, who won a race driving for the team as a part-time driver in 2018 as well, stated that he felt he could win eight to 10 races this season.
That was seen as quite a lofty goal, as even in the two years of the “Big 3” making it to consecutive Championship 4s, no driver won more than eight races in a single season. Even last season, when those three drivers combined to win 21 races, that did not happen.
Plus, the departure of the “Big 3” certainly did not leave the series starved for talent, so the 2020 season was never going to be a cakewalk for Briscoe despite his potential.
But Briscoe has emerged as the clear championship favorite this year with eight victories through 27 races, and he leads the championship standings one race into the three-round, seven-race playoffs.
If there is one driver to watch in the Xfinity Series as far as potentially moving to the Cup Series next season is concerned (aside of the recently confirmed Ross Chastain), it is Briscoe.
But will he make that jump?
Here are four possible landing spots for him in 2021.