Chase Briscoe’s stars changed in late June when he finally landed the coveted seat at Joe Gibbs Racing. He will be taking the place of Martin Truex Jr., an incredible achievement for the driver of the number 14! The announcement was not without controversy, however, as Briscoe may have inadvertently stirred up some trouble.
It was in particular her choice of outfit when announcing the exciting news on X that caught the attention of a Twitter account with just 2,800 followers. But wait before you label this account as just another keyboard warrior, because it’s not random at all. And don’t be fooled by the number of followers. You’d certainly be surprised if you knew the name behind this account.
Chase Briscoe steps on the wrong foot and angers the great name of Ford!
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Chase Briscoe probably felt on top of the world signing with one of the best teams in NASCAR. It’s a big jump to go from a team that has pace issues and not-so-great equipment to one that’s competing for the championship on the front row. So, he couldn’t wait to announce to the world what was brewing behind the scenes. But the way he did it, in retrospect, could have been better.
Do you think Chase Briscoe’s oversight could spark a conflict with Ford?
Briscoe donned a black T-shirt to share the exciting news of his move to Joe Gibbs Racing. The shirt featured a handful of sponsor logos, Bass Pro Shops being the most obvious, and the Joe Gibbs Racing logo on the right and a pronounced Toyota logo on the left side. And well, that was enough to spark a controversy. The problem? Briscoe is still behind the wheel of SHR’s Ford Mustang, so its prominent display is disrespectful to his current partners.
Briscoe then found himself on the receiving end of a tweet from a user named Sweepstakes1901. He said, “And here I thought I was racing a Mustang until the end of the 2024 season.” But he gets a lot of comments. Why is this comment so important?
Well, Kevin Harvick revealed that the account belongs to none other than Edsel Ford II. Harvick confirmed on his podcast, “I’m pretty sure Sweepstakes1901 is Edsel Ford II. I think it’s kind of like his account on X. I mean, I feel like it’s public knowledge if you drive a Ford.” Edsel Ford II is the great-grandson of Henry Ford, and for a long time, he was seen as the face of Ford in NASCAR. So he’s quite the character. It seems like Briscoe’s decision to wear Toyota gear while still racing a Ford didn’t go unnoticed by him, and Harvick even sided with Edsel, criticizing Briscoe’s decision. Harvick further provided an example of how driver transfers should be handled, implying that Briscoe messed up.
Harvick shared: “Regarding what Edsel said, I think it’s a big mistake on Chase’s part to have that Toyota logo during the year. I know when we announced the Josh Berry stuff, that he was coming to Stewart-Haas, we definitely did that. We made sure it had a Stewart-Haas logo on it and that was it. And we worked with JR Motorsports to make sure they were on board with everything that was going on.
Briscoe’s decision to wear Toyota gear while driving for Ford seems like a mistake. According to Harvick, small mistakes like this can damage relationships and burn bridges. In NASCAR, where there are only a few manufacturers, damaging a relationship can have big consequences. Therefore, Briscoe may have put himself in a tough spot by beating Ford.
Kevin Harvick hesitantly tries to reason out Chase Briscoe’s controversial mistake
Briscoe may have acted without thinking things through, but what about his team involved? It seems they all failed! While the damage is done, Harvick, while disappointed with Briscoe’s approach, somewhat understands the situation. He said, “I know in these situations people can get frustrated and they can get to a point where they’re not happy and you get really excited about what you’re going to do next.”
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It’s been a while since Briscoe last won a race with Stewart-Haas Racing, so his excitement about the upcoming change is understandable. However, it’s important to handle the transition in a professional manner. While the closure of his current team may make his departure seem less significant, angering influential figures like Edsel Ford II is still not a smart move.
Harvick also suggested Briscoe’s decision was likely naive rather than bitter. “But I think it was definitely a mistake to have that Toyota logo before the season was over due to the fact that he’s still a Ford driver, he’s still on a Ford team, and I think there were definitely some things that Chase Briscoe overlooked in doing that and having that logo on his jersey.”
USA Today via KeynoteUSA
February 19, 2022; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe (14) during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-KeynoteUSA Sports
Furthermore, these changes will continue to occur and Briscoe might have to change teams again and navigate similar situations in the future. Therefore, it is crucial to draw the line at professionalism and make more conscious decisions to ensure that all parties involved are happy with the transition. Furthermore, reputations are also at stake and now that he is on the radar for this scenario, this will be felt in the future and could affect his future endeavors. While it may seem like a minor matter today, it could have a bigger impact tomorrow. As Harvick rightly said, “You need to come out on the right foot because you might have to cross that bridge again.”
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What did you think of this emerging controversy over Briscoe? Let us know in the comments.
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