Briscoe has noticed a significant difference in the depth of field and level of competition since stepping up to the Xfinity Series from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
“Competition wise, it is tougher every level you go (up). It always gets tougher,” he said. “In the Truck Series, there were eight or nine guys that could realistically win a race. Here in Xfinity, there are 15 guys that can win a race. It is tougher to run up front.
“Pit stops are one thing too. In the Trucks, pit road is pretty spread out and you can normally get in and out pretty easily, but in Xfinity it is so tight,” he noted. “I’ve had a lot of learning to do and I look forward to learning here again this weekend.”
After winning the ARCA Racing Series title in 2016 and contending in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs last fall, Briscoe said he’s struggled to adjust to the fact he’s not racing for points this year.
“It has been tough. The whole reason you race is to win championships,” Briscoe stated. “Going from winning the ARCA championship and then last year being in the truck, feeling like we had a chance to win the championship, to now being part-time kind of stinks. It’s hard to deal with.
“For me, trying to learn the Xfinity deal is hard when you race once and then don’t race again for a month and a half. It is tough. I got to go do Sebring a couple weeks ago (in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge) and then I had a three or four-week break. I couldn’t even go race sprint cars because it keeps raining.”
Briscoe has gained a reputation in recent months of being a diverse driver – something he hopes will continue to grow as he goes down the road.
“It has been hard to jump in and out of different cars … but I’ve enjoyed the challenge and I think it will make me better down the road,” he said. “I am always trying to add more races, whether it is Trucks, ARCA, Xfinity … whatever. But at the end of the day, it’s up to Ford. Whatever they decide, I do.”
That statement raised the question of why Briscoe, who owns a sprint car team of his own, wasn’t scheduled to race during the two-day Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour event at Texas’ four-tenths-mile dirt track on the back of the property.
The answer was actually simple: he didn’t have a car he could race, or he potentially would have.
“I couldn’t find a ride,” Briscoe laughed. “It’s a 360 (cubic inch engine) race and we don’t have a 360.”
