Chase Briscoe quickly realized that working with James Small would be a unique experience. Their first significant meeting took place over lunch shortly after Briscoe teamed up with Joe Gibbs Racing.
“We had one of our first conversations over a meal,” Briscoe shared during Daytona 500 Media Day. “James ordered a healthy bowl, while I went for the fried food. He looked at me and said, ‘That’s going to change.’”
In June, Briscoe was officially named the driver of the No. 19 Toyota. He sees this chance as a serious opportunity to compete for a Cup Series championship, and he knows Small will be key in that journey.
Small, the crew chief, wanted to make sure Briscoe was fully committed. “James is really into fitness. He and his wife take it seriously,” Briscoe said. “When I joined the team, James asked me about my fitness routine. I admitted I rarely ate fruits or vegetables and didn’t work out at all. He replied, ‘We need to change that. If I’m giving 100%, I want to know you’re all in too.’”
The solution was straightforward: Small’s wife, Kat Sims, became Briscoe’s trainer and nutritionist.
“Having her on board has helped me a lot,” Briscoe explained. “It holds me accountable. If I skip a workout or eat poorly, James finds out right away. If I were working with someone else, I could probably get away with it.”
“I won’t say I’ve got it mastered yet. I could definitely improve, but I saw progress initially. I lost about 10 pounds in a few weeks, then hit a plateau. Still, it matters to James, so it matters to me too.”
Briscoe and Small kicked off their partnership in style by winning the pole position for the Daytona 500. This marks the first pole for Briscoe, Small, and Toyota in this event, and it’s Joe Gibbs Racing’s first Daytona 500 pole since 1998.
Source link
nascar,
