Chase Briscoe Olympic Break Updates
Notes of Interest – Olympic Break
● The longest season in all of professional sports is off for summer break. The NASCAR Cup Series, which began its 38-race season back on Feb. 3 with the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles and ends Nov. 10 at Phoenix Raceway, gets a two-week reprieve as broadcast partner NBC covers the Summer Olympics in Paris. Off-weekends are rare in NASCAR and back-to-back off-weekends are even rarer. Drivers and crew members are used to taking vacations during the winter when the sport is silent, but this break allows those in the industry to enjoy a warm-weather vacation without the need for a passport and a flight toward the equator. With 23 straight races in the books, the break is needed, both for recuperation and to prepare for another 14-race stretch before the Cup Series’ 76th season comes to a close.
● When teams get back from summer break, only four regular-season races remain before the 16-driver NASCAR Playoffs begin Sept. 8 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Those who have won a race in the regular season earn a playoff berth, with the remaining spots filled based on a driver’s point standing. There have been 12 different race winners thus far in 2024, leaving just four playoff spots open for a driver to get in on points. Of the winless drivers, Martin Truex Jr. is in the best shape with a 108-point margin over the top-16 cutoff. Next best is Ty Gibbs with a 42-point buffer. Chris Buescher and Ross Chastain currently hold down the last two playoff spots, albeit tenuously, with Buescher just 17 points ahead of the top-16 cutoff while Chastain is just seven points to the good. The closest driver outside of the top-16 is Bubba Wallace, who could easily usurp Chastain in a single race. Chase Briscoe is the next-closest challenger to crack the top-16, but at 83 points back, he needs all four races to secure as many points as possible. A victory, however, would punch Briscoe’s playoff ticket and squeeze a non-winning driver outside the playoff bubble.
Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Wearing the The Fleddermann von Rieste Hanoverian Self-Winding Automatic Watch in Charcoal Grey (left) and the Munchner Mechanical Small Seconds Watch featuring a Mechanical Swiss Watch Movement Master of Time in Biel/Bienne Switzerland and assembled in America, Photo Credit – Justin Potter
Briscoe Banter
Prior to Richmond, you’ll have back-to-back off-weekends thanks to NBC’s coverage of the Olympics. How big of a deal is that break, not just for you, but also for your crewmembers?
“It’s nice to get a break. It’s weird to get two off weekends in a row. I’ll have time to get caught up on all the honey-do list stuff that I normally don’t have time to do, and it’ll be nice to be at home without responsibilities for a week or two and to be able to just hang out. I don’t think there’s ever been a time where I’m home three days straight throughout the season, but those off weeks I’ll be home for five, six, seven, eight days in a row. So it’ll be nice to just be home and get to be a dad and a husband for a couple of days and kind of live a normal life, to a certain extent, and just wake up and not have to leave. It’s always a nice break and a way to recharge your batteries in the middle of the season.”
Formula One has a mandatory two-week summer shutdown, where no work can be done in the race shop, as it’s monitored by the FIA. Would you like to see something similar in NASCAR?
“I’m all about taking a little bit of a break and I think it’d be a cool thing, too, if it was actually a full, total shutdown where you couldn’t do anything. People in other sports don’t realize how long our season is. It’s really from the first weekend of February to the first weekend in November and a lot of times you only get one weekend off. And even in the offseason, you’re kind of working more than you are in the season. It would definitely be nice to have a summer break.”
You have this two-week break where you’re not at the track, but how hard is it to turn your mind off from racing?
“I think it’s hard the first couple of days. Like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, it’s a little challenging. But especially this year with it being two weeks off, it’ll be a lot easier that second week to kind of forget everything and then get back into the groove that following week. I don’t think it’s hard, especially if you’re busy and doing stuff at home and what not. The first couple of days, I feel like it’s hard to totally forget about it, but once you get to Thursday and you know you don’t have to worry about going to a race that weekend or packing a bag to go away that weekend, it’s easy to forget about it altogether.”
Wear What Chase Wears
During an extended visit to his home state of Indiana we are proud to see our favorite driver, Chase Briscoe wearing an Indiana Assembled Fleddermann von Rieste Automatic Watch as he harnessed the horsepower of his Number 14 HighPoint.com Dark Horse Ford Mustang in front of the home town fans. Like Chase, we are proud to be from The Hoosier State, Indiana, and we are even prouder to make our American Made Watches right here in Indiana. We are blessed that Chase chose to partner with us as his office watch provider and can not wait to see our watches on his wrist this weekend. We’re excited to highlight one of his American-made automatic watches, inspired by another legendary horse, the Hanoverian stallion. This exceptional timepiece features a high-performance self-winding movement, ensuring that Chase Briscoe’s watch is always accurate and he is always on time.
At Fleddermann von Rieste, we take immense pride in our partnership with Chase and in the fact that our American-made automatic watches are assembled in Indiana. We cherish the Hoosier state and our commitment to American craftsmanship. The Hanoverian model features a high-beat automatic self-winding movement from Miyota. The Miyota 9015 automatic watch movement delivers powerful, reliable precision performance while maintaining a slim profile, enhancing the comfort for anyone who wears it.
Chase selected the Hanoverian in Charcoal Grey for his personal watch collection. The Hanoverian comes in six stunning colors, allowing you to build your collection around its versatile design. Explore the Hanoverian and discover why it’s the perfect addition to any watch enthusiast’s collection.
The Fleddermann von Rieste Automatic Watch, the Hanoverian with a Self-winding Movement, available in six colors, photos courtesy of Eye of Isaac Photography
About Fleddermann von Rieste
At Fleddermann von Rieste, we assemble all of our automatic watches with a deep commitment to quality and American craftsmanship. We believe in the importance of American-made watches and doing things the right way. While many consider luxury watches to be exclusively Swiss-made, we proudly demonstrate that luxury automatic watches can be American-assembled.
As an independent watch company based in Indiana, Fleddermann von Rieste creates legacy American-assembled watches, focusing on the best affordable watches for our customers. Our watches are assembled by an American Watchmaker and Clockmaker Institute (AWCI) certified watchmaker and his apprentice in the Hoosier State. We produce both automatic watches (self-winding watches) and mechanical watches (hand-wind watches) with meticulous care.
Did you know that our watchmakers have taken courses and worked on some of the best Swiss-made watch brands? Adam and his team are trained and capable of servicing brands including, but not limited to, Rolex, Breitling, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Omega, Seiko, Luminox, Swiss Army, and Grand Seiko. The Fleddermann family infuses every watch with inspiration drawn from our deep-rooted Indiana family history and German heritage.
Each American-assembled mechanical or automatic watch is designed to become a family heirloom from the very first wearing. We take great pride in providing attainable legacy timepieces that generations can wear, share, and cherish. Our watches embody our vision for timeless pieces that you can be excited to show your father and proud to give to your son.
No. 14 Mahindra USA 30 Years Team Roster
Primary Team Members
Driver: Chase Briscoe
Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana
Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
Hometown: Friendship, Maryland
Car Chief: J.D. Frey
Hometown: Ferndale, California
Engineer: Mike Cook
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland
Spotter: Joey Campbell
Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut
Over-The-Wall Members
Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala
Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois
Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal
Hometown: Holland, Michigan
Jack Man: Dylan Moser
Hometown: Monroe, North Carolina
Fuel Man: Corey Coppola
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia
Road Crew Members
Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams
Hometown: Plymouth, Wisconsin
Tire Specialist: Keith Eads
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia
Shock Specialist: Brian Holshouser
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips
Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri
Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina
Transporter Co-Driver: Dale Lackey
Hometown: Taylorsville, North Carolina
Thank you to Mike Arning, True Speed Communication on behalf of Stewart-Haas Racing