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HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 26: Chase Briscoe, driver of the #14 Zep Ford, walks the grid during qualifying for the the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 26, 2024 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Chase Briscoe’s difficult start to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continued Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. The driver of the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing saw his race end early after a tire failure during the Straight Talk Wireless 500. The issue happened during Stage 2 at the one-mile track.
As Briscoe drove into Turn 3, the right-side tire failed, and the car slid up the track. The No. 19 Toyota hit the outside wall and suffered heavy damage. The crash forced the team to move the car to the garage. Briscoe did not return to the race. The result added another setback in the opening stretch of the season for the 31-year-old driver from Indiana.
Tire Failure Ends Chase Briscoe’s Day at Phoenix
Chase Briscoe started the race from the middle of the field and showed a steady pace during the early laps. The race changed during Stage 2 when the tire problem occurred.
As Briscoe entered Turn 3, the right-side tire failed. The sudden loss of grip caused the car to slide up the track. The No. 19 Toyota hit the outside wall and sustained damage that prevented the team from continuing.
Officials credited Briscoe with a 37th-place finish after the team could not repair the damage in time to return to the race. The finish marked his second straight Did Not Finish result.
After the race, Briscoe said he felt a warning sign before the failure.
“When I had my vibration, I told them that I thought it was in the front end. Just par for the course for how this year started. It was another car that was extremely fast, felt like we were certainly going to be in contention for the win, and just another failure for us.”
The outcome also continued a difficult start to the season. Three of Briscoe’s first four races have ended with finishes of 36th or worse.
Mechanical Issues Continue Early Season Struggles
The Phoenix race came one week after another early exit for Briscoe at Circuit of the Americas.
During that race, a transaxle failure forced the No. 19 Toyota out before the checkered flag. The mechanical issue prevented Briscoe from completing the event and added to the team’s early-season problems.
Because of the result at Phoenix, Briscoe remained deep in the standings after the opening races of the year.
He entered the Phoenix weekend ranked 27th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 46 points. The total left him 140 points behind the championship leader early in the season.
The recent mechanical problems and race incidents have limited the team’s results during the first part of the schedule.
Briscoe said the team plans to move forward despite the setbacks.
“Definitely frustrating, we’ll go on to next week and see if we can turn it around with our Bass Pro Shops Toyota team.”
Through the opening four races of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, race incidents and mechanical failures have affected Briscoe’s results. The crash at Phoenix marked the latest challenge for the No. 19 team as it looks to improve its results in the coming races.
Dogli Wilberforce is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce
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