May 22 (UPI) -- Chase Briscoe broke down into tears as he knelt beside his No. 98 Ford after he won the Toyota 200, days after the death of his unborn child.
"This is for my wife," Briscoe said after the NASCAR Xfinity Series race Thursday at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. "This has been the hardest week I've ever had to deal with.
"When I took the lead with 50 laps to go, 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."
Briscoe, 25, and his wife, Marissa, learned Tuesday at a doctor's appointment that the daughter they expected to have Dec. 1 didn't have a heartbeat. He posted a long message on Twitter to share the devastating news. Briscoe was in the infield Tuesday at Darlington Raceway as his wife FaceTimed him from the appointment when he learned of the death.
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Emotions poured out as he took a brief moment to reflect while he knelt on the pavement after Thursday's race. He wiped tears from his face before he did post-race interviews.
"This is the No. 1 win," Briscoe said. "Honestly, winning the Daytona 500 couldn't even top the feeling of just, like I was saying earlier, the ups and downs. This is what my family needed and what my wife needed."
Thursday's race was the first Xfinity Series event since the season was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was also the final race at Darlington Raceway before NASCAR heads to Charlotte this weekend. No fans were allowed in the stands Darlington due to the pandemic.
Kyle Busch finished second in the Toyota 200. Justin Allgaier, Austin Cindric and Noah Gragson rounded out the top-5 finishers. Gragson led a race-high 46 laps.
Xfinity Series drivers will compete next in the Alsco 300 at 7:30 p.m. EDT Monday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Briscoe ranks first in the Xfinity Series standings, with two wins in five starts this season.
