Chase Briscoe speaks out after making crew chief change

There’s been a shake-up in staffing at Stewart-Haas Racing this week, and Chase Briscoe will have a new — yet familiar — crew chief. The announcement about a change was made on Tuesday.

Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Richard Boswell will replace John Klausmeier as the crew chief for the No. 14 car. Boswell and Briscoe worked together from 2018-20 on the Xfinity Series, winning eight races together.

Following the news, Briscoe commented on the change in a post on Twitter.

“Can’t express how much I appreciate Johnny and what we accomplished together,” Briscoe wrote. “From my first Cup win to our deep run in the playoffs, plus he’s been a great role model for me personally. Looking forward to working with Boswell again.”

Briscoe sits 31st in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings. In order to make the playoffs, he needs to record a victory on the track.

“I feel like Chase just needs something different right now,” Greg Zipadelli, chief competition officer for SHR, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “He needs someone to help him grow in a different way, help hold him a little more accountable, and Richard has done that in the past.”

In 16 NASCAR Cup Series races this season, Briscoe has yet to win a race. He’s finished inside the top-10 just four times. The No. 14 car has finished 17th or worse in each of the last six Cup Series races.

Richard Boswell makes switch from Xfinity to NASCAR Cup Series

While Boswell brings plenty of experience to the field as a crew chief, this will be his first time at the Cup Series level. And the transition comes at a pivotal time, when Briscoe needs a victory to earn a spot in the playoffs.

Zipadelli said there was consideration to make Boswell the crew chief when Briscoe moved to the Cup Series. Though they didn’t make the change then, he said that Boswell has earned his opportunity.

“When we first moved him over (to Cup), Chase, we contemplated whether we needed to move Richard with him just because they had a good relationship,” Zipadelli said. “Even Richard thought it would be a lot, a rookie driver and crew chief with this new car and things of that nature. We elected to do what we did. (Briscoe and Klausmeier) won last year. They made the (playoffs). They had a pretty solid year, had opportunities to win two or three other races. That’s all you can ask for. …

“He deserves the opportunity. He’s been with us for a while. … He has been a huge part of our Xfinity program and where it is today. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know if we would have been where we’re at. He’s kind of taken it on personally. He’s done a lot more than crew chief over there in the past.”