Corey LaJoie makes bold NASCAR championship pick after Chase Briscoe wins Talladega

With a win at Talladega, Chase Briscoe has advanced to the NASCAR championship. Corey LaJoie believes he’s the favorite. LaJoie has raced against Briscoe in the past. He knows how all of these drivers operate. Now, he’s putting his faith in the 19 team.

Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe have advanced to the Championship 4 in Phoenix. JGR has a wealth of riches, it appears. Christopher Bell has won at Martinsville in the past. And his points situation says that he should be able to advance, barring certain circumstances.

Following the finish tonight, LaJoie made a bold take on the championship battle. He has faith in Briscoe.

“Chase Briscoe is the championship favorite,” LaJoie said. Simple and to the point.

Chase Briscoe is the championship favorite.

— Corey LaJoie (@CoreyLaJoie) October 19, 2025

Corey LaJoie might be right. This season, Chase Briscoe has the most top-five finishes. He has won three times this year, and arguably could have won a race or two more had things gone differently. Where this 19-team has been flailing late in the season the last two years, they have only gotten better as the NASCAR Playoffs go on this season.

Since the NASCAR Playoffs started, Briscoe has two wins, three additional top-fives, two top-10s, and a P14 finish at the Roval, where he was sick. His average finish is 4.25 over the course of the postseason.

Chase Briscoe made an incredible last-lap move

While superspeedway racing has been diluted in the Next Gen era, tonight’s finish was fantastic. It was already lining up to be a great finish before the overtime restart, and admittedly, I was disappointed to see the overtime happen. At least, I was at first.

When Kyle Larson ran out of fuel and dropped to the apron on the backstretch of the final lap, a door opened. It was a moment not just for Briscoe to take, but a number of drivers. To his credit, Ty Gibbs played the role of teammate perfectly. He could have forced the issue and left Briscoe out to dry. He did not.

Bubba Wallace had a chance to go low and take the inside lane, he did not take it. Briscoe shot to the bottom with Gibbs right on his tail, and the two of them made their way to in front of William Byron. From there, it was a drag race between the two lanes.

Some shuffling through the trioval later, and Chase Briscoe was out front. He claims another win and is going to be racing for a championship in two weeks. Is this his year to make a name for himself and claim the title of NASCAR Cup Series champion?