HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Chase Briscoe gave team owner Brad Keselowski a fitting send-off and accomplished the final goal on his checklist during Friday night’s season-ending Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Briscoe dominated the night after starting from the pole, leading four times for 81 of the night’s 134 laps en route to his first-career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory and winning for BKR as the team closes its doors.
Meanwhile, his long-time friend and fellow dirt track racer-turned-NASCAR young gun Christopher Bell finished second behind him to secure the series championship in his second and final full-time season in the division.
Though Bell and Ben Rhodes split the first two stages, it was Briscoe who won the race off pit road to lead the field back to green at the start of the final segment.
When the green flag flew with 47 laps remaining, Rhodes surged off the bottom lane and took the lead down the backstretch, opening up a second and a half over Briscoe in clean air as Bell dueled side-by-side with Briscoe’s teammate Austin Cindric for the championship lead behind them.
But as the long run wore on, Briscoe’s No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford F-150 came to life. He chased down Rhodes over a five-lap span before moving to the inside with 39 laps to go, taking command and never looking back again.
In a caution-free run to the checkered flag, Briscoe opened up a 2.887 second margin down the stretch in capturing his breakthrough win after three prior runner-up finishes.
“I tell you what, this has been a long time coming,” said Briscoe in victory lane. “I am just so proud of all of these guys. To know that they won’t have a job next year and that we continued to bring really, really good trucks (to the race track) even though we were outside of the playoffs is just a testament to how good these Brad Keselowski Racing guys are.”
“Two years ago I was sleeping on couches and now I’m a winner in NASCAR at Homestead. Obviously I wish we were in the Final Four, because I know what could have been, but that’s part of the circumstances. I can’t thank Brad and Ford and everybody that’s given me an opportunity enough. This is just amazing.”
Briscoe also captured Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors as well with his victory Friday night.
“That’s pretty special to do,” Briscoe added. “A lot of great race car drivers have done that and to be able to add my name to that list is certainly special. Once again, you’re only as good as the vehicle you’re in and these guys have given me the best all year long.”
For Keselowski, Friday night’s victory wasn’t about him as an owner, but the people he hired that made BKR’s seven full-time seasons in the Truck Series a successful one.
“It always feels good to go out on a high note, but it’s not about me, it’s about these guys,” said Keselowski. “Chase Briscoe drive a heck of a race. He deserves a lot of credit. He should have had a few more wins this year, but a few little things didn’t go his way and we probably let him down there at Talladega to not have a shot at the title.”
“He proved today that he’s a worthy competitor and a heck of a race car driver. I’m looking at him and thinking he’s got a big bright future ahead of him, as well as Austin Cindric. Man, I’m just happy to have played a role in helping them out along the way.”
In 305 total starts at the Truck level over 10 years, Brad Keselowski Racing captured 11 victories with six different drivers, along with 107 top-five and 174 top-10 finishes, as well as 18 poles.
Meanwhile, Bell’s runner up finish allowed him to celebrate a championship alongside his fellow dirt track companion, winning the second driver’s title for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the last three years.
Johnny Sauter finished third in the race and second in points after winning the title last year, followed by Ryan Truex and Briscoe’s teammate Austin Cindric, who ends the year third in the standings.
Two-time Truck Series champion Matt Crafton followed in sixth, the lowest of the title contenders at the finish.
Full race results can be viewed on the next page…
