NASCAR Driver Briscoe Returning to Hoosier Dirt Roots To Race in BC39
July 16, 2021 | By Indianapolis Motor Speedway
NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year candidate and USAC Sprint Car/Midget racing veteran Chase Briscoe will drive the family-owned No. 5B in the 2021 edition of the Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink on Aug. 18-19 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Briscoe, from Mitchell, Indiana, will drive a brand-new New Zealand based King Chassis in the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship event on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 at IMS.
The 26-year-old has appeared in both previous runnings of the BC39, missing out on a transfer spot to the feature in the inaugural 2018 edition, then made the feature in 2019 where he started 21st and finished 24th.
His best USAC Midget results have come on the “bullrings,” similar to the tight-quarters racing action that has become commonplace at The Dirt Track at IMS. Those peak Midget performances came indoors in USAC non-points events at the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, where he finished second to Christopher Bell in 2017 and fifth in 2015.
Now a regular in the NASCAR Cup Series for Stewart-Haas Racing, perhaps Briscoe’s greatest triumph came in 2020 at IMS, winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard on the 2.439-mile road course.
Whether it’s on the road course, the oval or the 1/4-mile dirt track, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is special to Briscoe, who hails from nearby Mitchell, Indiana. After an unplanned year off from the BC39 in 2020, Briscoe is more than ready to return to a place that is near and dear to his heart.
“The race, being in Indianapolis, is special to me, but just to race in Bryan (Clauson)’s honor is something I want to do every year as long as I can,” Briscoe said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get to run the event last year (due to COVID-19). “But I’m super excited about this year. I think it’s going to be a great event with a lot of promotion behind it. (I’m) just really excited to get there.
“Whenever I’ve run Indy in the past, I always have tremendous support from a lot of people from my hometown who’ll come up for the race. That always makes it really special. I can’t wait to get back on the dirt in Indiana -- especially at a place that’s so special.”
Tickets are on sale for the BC39 at IMS.com/BC39. Fans also can visit IMS.com/BC39 for information about pit passes, camping and prepaid parking.
This year’s Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink also will be the conclusion of nearly a week of exciting action on the road course and The Dirt Track at IMS. The NASCAR-INDYCAR tripleheader takes place Aug. 13-15, with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and NASCAR Xfinity Series conducting separate races Saturday, Aug. 14 and the NASCAR Cup Series racing on the IMS road course for the first time Sunday, Aug. 15.
Visit IMS.com for more information on tickets to all IMS events in 2021.