January 6, 2020 | By Lee Spencer

Chase Briscoe back in full-time Xfinity Series ride with Stewart-Haas Racing

Chase Briscoe, one of the top prospects in the Ford Performance camp, will return to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2020.

In his first full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Briscoe scored a win, two poles, 13 top fives and 26 top 10s en route to winning Rookie-of-the-Year honors and finishing fifth in the standings.

Briscoe’s opportunity to continue his course in the No. 98 Xfinity Series Ford Mustang with crew chief Richard Boswell will provide the 25-year-old Mitchell, Indiana, native to build consistency into the program.

“This is the first time I’ll be able to run back-to-back, full seasons with the same team, and I couldn’t be happier to do it with Stewart-Haas Racing,” Briscoe said. “Their faith in me means a lot, and I want to reward them and Ford with more wins and a run for the championship.”

Briscoe was recruited for Ford Performance’s driver development program in 2018. He ran a limited schedule split between the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing and No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing teams. In his 14th-career Xfinity Series start, Briscoe won the inaugural Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course contest. He held off-road racing ace Justin Marks and fellow Ford development driver Austin Cindric for the win.

“We are thrilled to continue Chase’s development program with a second full season running the Xfinity Series for Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “Chase has proven himself well so far and we’re looking forward to continuing his progression as he competes for an Xfinity Series championship for SHR and Ford.”

The third-generation racer transitioned from dirt to asphalt, starting with three K&N Pro Series races in 2013. After two starts in the ARCA Menard’s Series in 2015, Briscoe competed in the full 2016 tour. He won six races, six poles and the ARCA title.

Briscoe’s results landed him a NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series ride with Brad Keselowski Racing for 2017. He won the season finale at Homestead-Miami from the pole. When Keselowski elected to shut down his operation at the end of the year, Briscoe landed in a limited Xfinity Series ride with Roush Fenway Racing and the Stewart-Haas Racing program.

Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart has been thrilled to have a fellow Hoosier—and dirt racer—under the roof.

“We’re very proud to have Chase back with Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Stewart, who co-owns SHR with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas. “Chase is an Indiana kid with a dirt-track background who has shown he can race on asphalt as well as he can on dirt. We think very highly of him and look forward to a strong season in 2020.”