NASCAR drivers are no strangers to bumping and drafting at high speeds, but Chase Briscoe nearly took things to another level when he jokingly considered giving the Presidential limousine—known as “The Beast”—a tap at Daytona.
Briscoe recalled the moment from February 2020 when then-President Donald Trump served as the Grand Marshal for the Daytona 500. As part of the pre-race festivities, Trump took a lap around the track in the heavily armored Cadillac limo, leading the field of stock cars before pulling off to the infield.
“I Thought About Bumping Him”
In a lighthearted retelling of the event, Briscoe admitted that the thought crossed his mind to give the limo a traditional NASCAR-style bump draft.
“I mean, it’s Daytona—you see a car in front of you, and the natural instinct is to close the gap and give them a little push. I thought about it for a second, but then I figured that probably wouldn’t go over too well with the Secret Service.”
While Briscoe wisely decided against making the move, the image of a NASCAR driver pushing the Presidential limo down the high banks of Daytona is one that fans can only dream about.
A Unique NASCAR Moment
The 2020 Daytona 500 marked the first time a sitting U.S. President led the field to green in such a fashion. Trump’s presence at the event was met with fanfare, and the sight of “The Beast” rolling down the famed superspeedway remains a surreal moment in NASCAR history.
For Briscoe, who was still working his way toward a full-time Cup Series ride at the time, the day served as another reminder of NASCAR’s larger-than-life atmosphere.
“You never know what you’ll see at Daytona. It’s a place where history is made, whether it’s on the track or off of it. I just never expected to be following the Presidential limo at speed.”
While NASCAR fans didn’t get to witness Briscoe drafting off “The Beast,” the story remains a humorous “what if” in the long list of Daytona’s wild moments.
