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NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: NEXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES 250

February 24, 2017

Daytona Beach, Florida

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by tonight's runner‑up. We have on the stage Austin Wayne Self, driver of the No.32 AM Technical Solutions Toyota, and we have our third‑place finisher, Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford.
Gentlemen, that was a wild race from start to finish, but the finish, let's talk about that. Austin, could you walk us through those final laps from your perspective?
AUSTIN WAYNE SELF: Yeah, man, we had a long race kind of that first instant, so we were just trying to stay out of trouble for the first two segments and really just get ourselves in the best position for the third one. And we did.
We started, I think, 13th, 12th or 13th, and got a good run on the outside. Then got stuck in the middle and got an opening down on the bottom, took that, and I think that's what really put us in the position to be the runner‑up there.
It got wild. We all knew it was. The whole race was really wild. It was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and fortunately I was able to find the right place and be there at the right time, and that's why we came home second.
THE MODERATOR: Chase, walk us through that final lap from your perspective.
CHASE BRISCOE: Yeah, it was definitely a welcoming, that's for sure. It was pretty hairy. The whole race was really pretty wild, and you knew it was on the last lap. If you just watch any of the past races you'd know that's how the Truck Series is and that's what makes it so exciting.
We felt like we were in a really good position on that final restart. I think we restarted third and just kind of got bottled up there and lost all of our track position. Stayed tight to the line and luckily missed that last wreck.

Q. Chase, can you walk me through what happened from your perspective?
CHASE BRISCOE: Yeah. First off, I feel absolutely awful about it, especially that I got our teammate. I got a huge run and really wasn't knowing what I could do with it yet, and I felt like I was out of the track and I was just trying to get him going and we kind of all checked up more than I was anticipating, just got in the back of him, and like I said, just absolutely hate it for everybody that was involved. Definitely not the way I want to start off my career and kind of the reputation I wanted to build. But like I said, I hate it for everybody.

Q. With this being the first race of the new competition enhancements, how would you rate the enhancements being on the track for the first time?
CHASE BRISCOE: Yeah, I personally, I feel like this place is so intense the whole entire race, but it definitely added a different kind of intensity. Obviously I didn't get a run in the old format, but I felt like it really kind of added a whole 'nother dynamic as far as strategy goes. So I thought it was really an improvement personally, and I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like at Atlanta.

Q. I have a question for Austin. These days it costs so much to run in a series like the Truck Series; how much does the money for second help you guys as you try and go through the season? Does it make a difference? And what is your schedule for this season? Are you going to run full‑time?
AUSTIN WAYNE SELF: I don't know if it's the money about finishing second. I think it's more what Daytona means‑‑ what it means to finish second here at Daytona. I think that brings more value to finding sponsors, looking for somebody that wants to get on board with us and be a partner with us. I think that goes a longer way than the money does because we all know in this sport it takes a lot of money to run up front, and it's never going to be enough to do that.
For me, I wasn't‑‑ we got four or five races scheduled. I'm trying to get the Texas races. I want to get to Eldora and do the road course, but we felt like unfortunately Justin Fontaine was supposed to drive this race car, wasn't able to, and I looked at it as an opportunity for me to get back in the race car. B&D Industries, Superior Essex came on board and we kind of put a little team together. I had Bill Henderson crew chiefing, and so far he's got the best two finishes. We finished eighth at Eldora. This was a little extra bonus for me, and it turned out really cool.

Q. Chase, if you are running Atlanta, you tested at Atlanta to get ready for the Truck Series season. What did you take away from that, and do you feel confident heading into your first full Truck Series schedule, running the mile‑and‑a‑halfs, short tracks, everything beyond Daytona?
CHASE BRISCOE: Yes, I felt really good at Atlanta. I felt like our truck and our entire team was really heavy with Atlanta. I felt like we had a pretty good balance and had a lot of speed, too, so just not sure how the new right‑side tire is going to play out. I don't know where that's going to stack us up speed‑wise, but I feel like we have a really good Cooper Standard Ford F150 to go there and just really excited to go there. That's one place I've always wanted to race and just feel like it's really going to fit a dirt guy's style with how much you've constantly got to search for it and how much lack of grip there is.

Q. Are you running there, Austin?
AUSTIN WAYNE SELF: No, but if I do run Atlanta, I definitely feel like I can prove. I learned a lot last year. That's a tough place, so good luck to you, Chase.

Q. You mentioned Justin; did you talk to him tonight, and did he say anything to you?
AUSTIN WAYNE SELF: I'm sorry, what was that?

Q. Did you talk to Justin tonight, Fontaine?
AUSTIN WAYNE SELF: Yeah, Justin was here. He's wearing a back brace. But he was here supporting us, and you know, he's more lively than ever. I feel bad he's got to sit out for three months, so I feel more bad, and I think it's harder for him to know he's not going to be able to be in a race car. But man, before you get in a race car, there's not a whole lot you can really say. It's just go get 'em, be safe, ironically. But he was out here supporting us, and it's just really cool to see him bounce back, be at a racetrack so fast after an injury like that, and really that's a big thanks to NASCAR and what everybody has done to make our sport a lot safer, to be able to see a guy take a hit like that and turn over and be at the racetrack the next week. That's pretty cool.

Q. Chase, it's one thing to test the car. It's something else to put it in a race condition and race it. You've been in stock cars before but you haven't been in the truck. Was the drivability and the reaction of the truck to your input what you anticipated after the first time you run it?
CHASE BRISCOE: Honestly it moved around a lot more than I anticipated with my ARCA experience. We have aero that you have to deal with, but not near to the extent of the truck, so that was one thing I really struggled with tonight was just how much we actually moved around behind guys, and at Atlanta that's obviously a deal where you're going to have to be able to move around, and there's going to be guys getting on your door and making you loose, and you see that cause a lot of wrecks in the Truck Series, so I feel like in practice I'm going to have to really get around other trucks.
Obviously at the test, there was only four other trucks, so we really didn't have the opportunity to do that, but really looking forward, like I said, to getting there and just seeing how it plays out.
THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thanks for putting on a great show tonight, and congratulations.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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