"Didn't really think I was gonna get anything back" - Chase Briscoe stunned by Joe Gibbs picking him for No. 19 after Martin Truex Jr. exit

A surprised Chase Briscoe recently shared his thoughts after Joe Gibbs Racing chose him for Martin Truex Jr.'s No. 19. Briscoe, who didn't see the opportunity coming, said he was blown away after JGR came out calling.

Truex Jr. recently announced his retirement at the end of this season. He revealed that he would no longer take part in the full-time Cup Series from next season onwards. This landed JGR in deep trouble to find a perfect replacement in due time.

Speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio about his new opportunity at JGR, a surprised Briscoe said:

"I didn't really think I was gonna get anything back, seriously. I was more or less checking the box just to make sure I don't leave any opportunity off table and, yeah I was kinda blown away truthfully when they reached out."

On the other hand, Stewart-Haas Racing's announcement to end operations at the end of 2024 also put Briscoe's career in jeopardy. Amid this, JGR's decision to put Briscoe in the #19 Toyota Camry saved the day both for the team and the driver.

Chase Briscoe is set to join Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Ty Gibbs, and could prove to be a valuable addition to the team. This would be the driver's second team since he joined SHR back in 2021.

---

Joe Gibbs believes Chase Briscoe can win at JGR

Chase Briscoe, the driver of the #14 Mahindra Tractors Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the Ruoff Mortgage 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 13, 2022, in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Joe Gibbs, the owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, recently shared his thoughts on Chase Briscoe, the driver he hired for the next season. He said he was impressed by Briscoe's career statistics and work ethic, which motivated him to pick the driver up.

"I think what really hit all of us besides Chase [Briscoe] and his background, you go back and look at Xfinity races that year and you see some of the other things he's done. He's already won a cup... But also we have to win and so we came down to the end. We think Chase can win. And so that's where we are and it's uh, thrill for us," said Gibbs (via NASCAR.com).

Over the last four years, Chase Briscoe has 126 races to his name, with two poles, 27 top-10 finishes, and one win. Briscoe won the only Cup Series race in 2022 (Ruoff Mortgage 500) at Pheonix.

Briscoe is also an Xfinity Series veteran with 86 races, 11 wins, two pole positions, and 54 top-10s under his belt. In the Truck Series, the SHR driver has 29 appearances in five years with two wins, 18 top-10s, and five pole positions.