In addition to the stress of racing for the NASCAR Cup Series championship for a team that is shutting down in less than two months, Chase Briscoe is also on baby watch.
His wife, Marissa, is due to have twins any day or any week now. So, are there contingency plans should she go into labor.
“I mean, I’m here,” Briscoe said. “We were at the hospital last night, but everything was good. A couple contractions and they sent us home. It’s the most helpless feeling, truthfully, in the world. Even this morning, I left the house at 6 a.m. to get on the plane, and she was having contractions here and there, and just knowing that I have to come, right? I can’t stay. I have to go to the racetrack. It’s tough.
“Once I landed, that was the first thing I was worried about it the whole plane ride. And she said that she hasn’t had one since. I just told her to literally lay down, don’t do anything until Monday. And then Monday, you can get on your yoga ball, bounce all around, we can walk miles, whatever you want to do. So far, so good. The doctor seemed to think that they weren’t going to make it till October 8th, but we will see.”
If it happens during the race, Briscoe says he doesn’t want to know until after the race.
“If I get a call, I told her the earliest I’ll probably be home is 7 o’clock by the time I would get on a plane,” Brisco said. “Coach (Joe Gibbs) has been super awesome about telling me I can use this plane if something happens. I have to practice. I have to qualify, and I have to race. So yeah, I mean, I’m here. We’re in the playoffs.
“Obviously, if I wasn’t in the playoffs, I would be home if something happened. The contingency plan is I’m here to race for championship. Marissa understands that. It obviously would get tricky if it comes at certain times but I even told Richard if it happens during the race don’t tell me. Just tell me as soon as we take the checker flag, hey look Marissa went into labor, so I can get out of the car and just go as fast as I can.”
Isn’t it weird that Briscoe had a plan with Gibbs, who he will drive for starting next year, even as he knocked out two their drivers in Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex last week?
He called it awkward.
“Yeah, so coach has been amazing,” Briscoe said. “The last four or five weeks, he’s called me every single week and we’ve set up a plan, whether it’s the plane being here or a Bristol helicopter, whatever it was, just anything he can do to help. He’s called and texted Marissa telling her that you know he’s praying for her, so it’s just been a really amazing thing that coach is willing to do that for me so I can be there.
“Hopefully I don’t have to use it but even last week SHR didn’t have a plane at Bristol. Everybody drove. So, I actually flew on the Gibbs team plane which was a little awkward after knocking some of their cars out, but yeah coach has been awesome in the whole process.”