Briscoe eyeing another victory in Southern 500

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, September 6, 2026

Chase Briscoe is targeting a historic third consecutive win at Darlington Raceway’s Southern 500, a milestone previously achieved only by Jeff Gordon. His victory would build crucial momentum entering the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, which begin with this race and feature a new format with no eliminations for the first 10 events.

Darlington, S.C. — Chase Briscoe is aiming to make history at Darlington Raceway by securing his third consecutive victory in the Southern 500, a feat only matched by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, who won the event four times in a row from 1995 to 1998. Briscoe's strong connection to the track, known as "Too Tough to Tame," dates back to his first drive there in 2019, and he has since built an impressive record, including a win in the Triple-A tier series race in 2021 and back-to-back Southern 500 victories in 2023 and 2024.

Briscoe, a Joe Gibbs Racing driver, expressed confidence in his potential to win for the third consecutive time Sunday and described such an achievement as "something really, really special." Accomplishing this milestone would also provide momentum as he enters the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, which begin with the Southern 500. The playoffs feature a format change this season: none of the 16 drivers will be eliminated during the next 10 races.

Coming into the playoffs ranked fifth in the standings, Briscoe is 45 points behind regular-season champion and teammate Denny Hamlin. His proven expertise at Darlington’s unique, egg-shaped oval—with its challenging corners and tire-wearing surface—has helped him optimize his car’s performance. In his 2024 Southern 500 win, Briscoe executed a dramatic late three-wide pass to secure the victory, while his dominant 2023 performance saw him lead 309 of 367 laps.

“When you’re able to win two years in a row, that confidence just builds more and more every single time,” Briscoe said, noting Darlington is a race he has "circled on the calendar."

Hamlin, 45, a future Hall of Famer and Briscoe’s teammate, enters the playoffs as a favorite, bringing experience with the playoff reset format, which assures no eliminations over the upcoming races. Hamlin holds the NASCAR record with 19 playoff appearances and 14 playoff race wins, and he has reached the championship round in the final race four times, including last year. However, a championship title still eludes him.

Reflecting on the pursuit of a championship, Hamlin said, “It would mean a lot personally.” He added that regardless of future results, he values the career achievements he has amassed, particularly highlighting a meaningful moment at Phoenix last year when his father witnessed his peak performance.

Weather conditions disrupted the preparatory sessions for Sunday’s race, forcing the cancellation of practice and qualifying on Saturday. As a result, Tyler Reddick was awarded the pole position for the Southern 500 based on the series’ rulebook procedures. The race will mark the kickoff of this year’s playoffs and serve as an early indicator of the championship battle’s direction.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.