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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Chase Briscoe, a native of Mitchell, Indiana, is making the leap to NASCAR’s highest level.

Stewart-Haas Racing announced Monday that Briscoe will be driving the #14-car in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in the 2021 season. He’ll be replacing long time Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer, who is retiring from racing at the end of the year.

Bowyer will be moving to the broadcast booth for FOX Sports next season.

“In the final three races last season, we saw confidence in Chase that we hadn’t seen before,” team co-owner Tony Stewart. “There was a transformation, and I think those three races last year were a preview of what we were going to see this year. He’s delivered time and time again this season and he’s definitely ready for the NASCAR Cup Series.”

“Still at a loss for words over everything, I grew up with Tony as my hero,” said Briscoe on Twitter. “Five years ago I was sleeping on couches and volunteering at race shops and now I’m driving my hero’s car. The 14 is more than just a number to me, I hope to make everyone proud like the last Indiana guy.”

Briscoe has won nine races in the 2020 Xfinity Series season and is one of the favorites to win the series championship.

He grew up in southern Indiana and started racing sprint cars with his father at the age of 13 before making the leap to try and compete in NASCAR. During his career racing sprint cars, he won 410 races, which broke a record set by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, who also grew up in Indiana.

One of Briscoe’s nine wins this season came on the inaugural NASCAR race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course back in July.

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