Chase Briscoe opens up on Daytona penalty appeal victory: "Felt like I got a new life"

Chase Briscoe has opened up about the emotions he felt after he and his team, Joe Gibbs Racing, won the appeal against the penalty imposed on them after the Daytona 500, stating that he "felt like he got a new life."

NASCAR had hit Briscoe and the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team with a 100-point deduction each due to a modified single-source part.

On top of the points deductions, crew chief James Small had been given a four-race suspension and a $100,000 fine. However, the team was able to provide evidence to show that it was a NASCAR manufacturing issue rather than a modification that they had made. As a result, the penalties were reversed.

The appeals panel stated: “The panel believes that the elongation of some of the holes on the number 19 Cup car spoiler base is caused by the process of attaching that specific spoiler base to the rear deck and not modification of the single source part.”

Whilst speaking to Dustin Long in Phoenix, Briscoe claimed that he "felt like a new man" after finding out they had been successful. He explained:

“Yeah it’s crazy. The amount of relief I felt, honestly just, I felt like a new man the rest of the week. So yeah it’s been nice. Not that our season was over but it kind of felt that way to a certain extent. I mean, we could have still won a race, right, and made the playoffs but you’re going to be at such a deficit the whole season. So, yeah, I definitely felt like I got a new life in a sense just because it stings when it’s the first race, right, and you’re kind of buried the whole season. But now I feel like I’m back on a level playing field.”

Briscoe now turns his focus to the NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway tomorrow, although he has his work cut out for him as he starts the race from 30th.

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

William Byron has taken pole position and will be closely followed by reigning 2024 champion Joey Logano and Carson Hocevar, who will start from second and third, respectively.

The race begins at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM.