(Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
By Aaron Bearden
The hardest day in Chase Briscoe’s life played out amid the falling rain in Darlington, South Carolina.
The biggest win of his career followed when the storms let up.
Sitting in the infield on the day of the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ planned return amid the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday, May 19, Briscoe’s attention focused on his phone. His wife Marissa, 12 weeks pregnant with the couple’s first child, had connected to him via FaceTime during a routine checkup.
Chase wanted to be by her side, eager to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time. But he could only watch on virtually as he waited out the rain.
It was over the phone that he heard the doctor say “now for the heartbeat” as his wife underwent an ultrasound.
Then the worst possible noise – nothing at all.
An apology.
Heartbreak.
In mere moments, the Briscoes went from eager excitement to immediate depression. Worse yet, they were a state apart with only a phone to connect them.
Chase maintained his composure and comforted his wife until she reached his parents. Then he broke down as dark clouds continued to fill Darlington sky.
It wouldn’t be the only time he cried that week.
The race was rained out hours later, postponed to Thursday at noon. That allowed Briscoe to drive home and be with his wife and family on Wednesday.
While the NASCAR Cup Series roared to life again in South Carolina, the Briscoes shared their devastating news on social media. Many reached out, including Samantha Busch – the wife of Kyle Busch, and another person that’s battled through fertility issues and miscarriages throughout her life.
Yesterday was the hardest day of my life. @MarissaBriscoe_ and I heard the worst news any soon to be parent could hear… That we wouldn’t be welcoming our daughter to the world on December 1st. I know God has a plan and we may not understand it but we seek Him and trust Him. pic.twitter.com/71uLSeQdsP
— Chase Briscoe (@ChaseBriscoe5) May 20, 2020
He returned to Darlington on Thursday, heartbroken but determined. The Hoosier had promised his wife that he would try to win for her, searching to make a positive out of an immensely challenging week.
When he arrived at the track, Briscoe was met by the same dark clouds. He sat through another lengthy delay, rain pouring down among the infield just as it had when he received the worst news of his life 48 hours earlier.
But this time the storms eventually let up. NASCAR officials were able to dry the track, and shortly after 4 p.m. ET the field finally made their way onto the racing surface to resume the 2020 season.
Briscoe was still mourning, but had a job to do. He strapped into his No. 98 Ford and tried to focus on racing at one of NASCAR’s most challenging tracks.
It took him some time to get dialed in, but eventually instinct took over. Briscoe steadily rose through the field, positioned to contend for the win if circumstances played out correctly.
Busch, returning to Darlington for his third race of the week after two Cup runs in one of his few allotted Xfinity starts, was expectedly strong and rose to the front before the end of Stage 2. But he sped on pit road under caution, forcing the Nevadan to drop to the tail end of the field with a penalty.
That opened the door for Briscoe. He took over the lead on Lap 96 of 147 and tried to hold the spot with rain threatening to end the race at any moment.
Intermittent drops littered the track, but it never picked up enough to yield a yellow. The race continued on, and Briscoe found himself battling Justin Allgaier for what he thought could be the win until Michael Annett spun on Lap 132, bringing out a late caution.
The caution was good for Briscoe because it allowed him a chance to get fresh tires and restart alongside Allgaier, who had passed him just before the caution. But it also allowed Busch to rejoin the leaders after he’d driven up to fifth on the lengthy green-flag run.
Briscoe would have to beat them both to score a win. He cleared Allgaier on the final restart and drove off to a sizable lead, but Busch quickly rose to second and began whittling it down.
When Briscoe hit the start-finish line to start the penultimate lap of the race, Busch followed just behind him. Coming off of Turn 4 to take the white flag Briscoe got into the wall and Busch capitalized, diving under him and nearly clearing the young prospect going into Turn 1.
But Briscoe wouldn’t be denied. He dove deep into Turn 1, filled the narrow gap between Busch and the outside wall and survived contact as Busch’s No. 54 Toyota washed up the track. He nearly spun, but held on to his run and cleared Busch coming onto the backstretch.
The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion made one final dive in Turns 3 and 4, but Briscoe held the preferred lane. He powered onto the front stretch and beat Busch to the line by .086 seconds.
“You’re a hell of a man,” crew chief Richard Boswell radioed. “That one is for you. That one is for your wife. That one is for your baby.”
Briscoe emerged from his car at the start-finish line after a cooldown lap and knelt down in a moment of prayer. Tears filled his eyes.
With no fans to scream out in joy, the time instead became a quiet moment for solemn reflection.
“This is for my wife. This has been the hardest week I’ve ever had to deal with,” Briscoe told FOX Sports’ television crew afterward, his face still red with tears. “When I took the lead, I was crying in my car.
“This is more than a race win. This is the biggest win of my life after the toughest day of my life. To be able to beat the best there is, is so satisfying.”
Thursday’s win won’t quell the dark times facing Briscoe and his family. He talked on FaceTime once again with his wife, and while her spirits were “up a little bit,” she was still filled with sadness.
No race win could ever fully compensate for such a tragic personal loss.
But for a few fleeting minutes on the front stretch, Briscoe was able to enjoy a moment of celebration amid the hardest week of his life.
The dark clouds remained in Darlington, but the rain was gone for a little while.
[…] You can read more about Briscoe’s emotional win here. […]