LONG POND, Pa. — Chase Briscoe got the cold facts when the third-generation driver's career took an unexpected turn, leaving his lame-duck NASCAR team for the sport's most coveted available seat with powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing.
The message was clear at JGR — home of five Cup driver titles and a perennial contender to win another one.
''You don't make the playoffs,'' Briscoe said, ''you don't race in this car anymore.''
The Toyotas were better at JGR, sure. So were the championship standards set by Joe Gibbs and the rest of the organization.
''It's been a lot of work,'' Briscoe's crew chief James Small said. ''From where he came from, there wasn't much accountability. Nobody was holding his feet to the fire. That's probably been a big wake-up call for him.''
Briscoe's eyes are wide open now, a first-time winner for JGR and, yes, he is indeed playoff bound.
Briscoe returned to victory lane Sunday at Pocono Raceway, stretching the final drops of fuel down the stretch to hold off Hamlin for his third career Cup victory and first with his new race team.
''I've only won three races in the Cup Series, right? But this is by far the least enjoyable just because it's expected now,'' Briscoe said. ''You have to go win. Where at SHR, you really felt like you surprised the world if you won.''