When Chase Briscoe joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025 he was promptly told to lose weight. One year on, that narrative is not going away.
As Briscoe prepares for his second Cup Series season at JGR - beginning with Sunday’s Daytona 500 - he is once again being told to slim down by crew chief James Small.
When he first made the move from Stewart-Haas Racing, the now 31-year-old Briscoe was told he needed to lose 15lbs - ouch. The man from Mitchell, Indiana admitted: "SHR I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted".
He would then have an excellent debut year with his new team - finishing third in the Cup Series standings and making the Championship final four in Phoenix.
But as he gets ready to really kick off 2026 at The Great American Race (2.30pm ET, FOX), Briscoe is still battling the scales as well as his rivals.
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Small is still on Briscoe weight warpath
When asked by media if Small is still all over him, he admitted: “He’s still on me. I probably haven’t done as good of a job, and he got into me pretty good on Monday about it. I think it’ll always be a thing.
“I could be 45 and James would be my crew chief, and it’d still be a thing. Yeah, it’s not going to stop.”
Briscoe, regardless of any weight issues, is already looking in fine racing shape to produce another excellent season.
Chase in good shape for Daytona 500 bid
He will start second on the grid for Sunday’s Great American Race after just being pipped to pole by two-time Cup Series king Kyle Busch on Wednesday.
The oddsmakers also like Briscoe’s chances of being in the hunt for a Cup Series title again in 2026 - he is currently trading at +900 and among the favorites to win it all.
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