Winning any race in the NASCAR Cup Series is massive, especially if the race is a crown jewel. However, Chase Briscoe had another level added to his win on Sunday night because of another factor.
"The fact that both of my Darlington wins have come trying to hold off Kyle Busch is pretty cool from just a personal note because that guy is one of the greatest of all times," Briscoe said after stunning the Cup field and putting himself in the playoffs.
Sunday night's race provided a sense of deja vu for Briscoe, who set out to deliver a major moment for Stewart-Haas Racing's 300-plus employees before the organization shut down.
To accomplish this feat, he had to hold off a hard-charging Busch over the final 26 laps of the race.
The Cup Series race is not the first time this scenario played out. It also happened during the 2020 Xfinity Series season. Briscoe was a full-time competitor in the second-tier series at the time while Busch made sporadic starts for Joe Gibbs Racing.
DID SOMEONE SAY CHASE BRISCOE AND KYLE BUSCH BATTLE FOR THE WIN?
HERE WAS THE EPIC BATTLE IN 2020 IN XFINITY! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/RDT7ZqcZA8
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 2, 2024
Briscoe was in the lead with the laps clicking down. Busch was right behind him, pushing the No. 54 Toyota Supra for all it was worth.
The two-time Cup Series champion took the lead at the white flag as Briscoe hit the wall, but the battle was not over. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver charged back on the outside and passed Busch as the two cars made contact. Briscoe also hit the wall a second time.
The two drivers were side-by-side exiting Turn 4, but Briscoe had the momentum heading down the frontstretch. He narrowly captured the win while Busch settled for second.
Sunday night's race at Darlington played out in an eerily similar manner, only with much more at stake. Both Briscoe and Busch were winless and in must-win situations.
Neither could point their way into the playoffs. Only one could win and check off this goal. The other would miss out on a chance to compete for the Cup championship.
Like the 2020 race, Briscoe was in the lead Sunday night at Darlington. He slid sideways on older tires while Busch chased him down on fresher Goodyears.
The two-time champion could not pull off the race-winning pass, and he wasn't about to intentionally wreck Briscoe to get a win for the 20th consecutive season.
Once again, Briscoe won while Busch had to settle for second.
REPOST TO CONGRATULATE CHASE BRISCOE!
HE WINS THE SOUTHERN 500 AT DARLINGTON TO MAKE THE NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS! pic.twitter.com/yf2YyPQcBv
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 2, 2024
"It was definitely déjà vu because that Xfinity race, I was sideways, way loose at the end, he kept running me down and running me down," Briscoe said while comparing the two races.
"Yeah, I hit the wall like I did at the Xfinity race with two to go. Yeah, I was waiting for him to do obviously whatever he had to do to get in the Playoffs, too.
"Kudos to him for racing me super, super clean."
Going toe-to-toe with a multi-time champion is significant, but beating Busch again wasn't the only factor that enhanced Briscoe's win.
The Indiana native also pointed to the circumstances surrounding each Darlington race. One race win was after an unthinkable tragedy. Another was late in his final season driving the No. 14, the same entry his hero Tony Stewart used to win a championship.
"I mean, it's pretty crazy how God works, right," Briscoe said. "We come here (in 2020) two days after having a miscarriage, are able to win, and beat Kyle Busch.
"Then four years removed, I win here again beating Kyle Busch, but now I have my son with me. (Wife) Marissa is here, pregnant with twins that could literally come at any point.
"Funny how it all works out."