NASCAR: 3 drivers who should already start to panic
By Asher Fair
NASCAR drivers who should be in panic mode: No. 3 – Chase Briscoe
Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe has had even more of a disastrous start to the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season than Austin Cindric has, especially considering what expectations were for this year after his surprise run to the round of 8 of last year’s playoffs.
Briscoe sits in 33rd place in the point standings, though he does have a top 20 finish to his name, unlike Cindric.
Like Cindric, Briscoe qualified for the playoffs last year because he won a race early in the season. Following his win in the season’s fourth race at Phoenix Raceway, he recorded just two top 10 finishes in the next 25 races.
Once again, he may need to find victory lane to have a shot at the postseason, as that kind of stretch won’t cut it for a driver aiming to get in on points.
Fortunately for him, he did establish a nice rhythm at the end of last season, sparking his surprise run to the semifinal round of the postseason. After having recorded just four top 10 finishes in 29 races, he reeled off six more in a span of seven races to close out the year.
But with Stewart-Haas Racing still not quite at the level of some of the other bigger teams, Briscoe is a prime candidate to miss the playoffs after having made it in a year ago.
Finally, let’s have a look at a driver in a similar boat, but one who does not need to panic quite yet.