It’s been nearly three months since Chase Elliott was injured in a snowboarding accident that sidelined him from NASCAR Cup Series competition for six weeks through the early spring.
But it’s been six weeks now that Elliott has been back behind the wheel, and the former Cup Series champion feels right back in the swing of things within the pack.
“I don’t feel any different, honestly,” Elliott said Saturday ahead of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “I don’t even really feel like I missed any time, just from driving. I think the things that I haven’t done well, I wasn’t doing well before I got hurt, too. I think all that stuff is very much back on pace.”
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Elliott missed the third race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 5) through the eighth on the Bristol dirt (April 9). In his return at Martinsville Speedway, Elliott and the No. 9 team put in a long day’s work to finish in the top 10.
“In the car, physically driving, I don’t feel any bit different than I did last season or the beginning of this year,” continued Elliott. “I feel like all of that is very normal. Certainly, outside of the car and just getting back to being 100% physically, it’s a long recovery.
“If I was playing a stick-and-ball sport, it would still be months from doing those things. So fortunately, we’re in a position in these cars that – and I’ve said this – your leg is in a pretty good spot and it’s pretty secure, too. You could be in a much more compromised situation, for sure. Just lucky that’s the reality for us and in what we do, and I could get back to work.”
In the last five points races (last weekend was the non-points All-Star Race), Elliott has finished no worse than 12th. The positive of those performances is that Elliott has banked 163 points and sits 28th in the championship standings going into the season’s longest race.
Elliott is still thinking a win is going to be his path to the playoffs despite the pace he’s been on. But winning is only part of what Elliott feels he and his team need to focus on going into the summer.
“Well, stage points being one (area), and I think some of that comes with how you qualify,” he said. “So yeah, qualifying has been really poor for me for probably six months or more. Unfortunately that trend has continued. I think that’s the big one, for sure. That impacts your pit pick – your pit pick you have to live with throughout the entire race. But yeah, qualifying a little better and stage points.
“And certainly (we) want to run better in the races, too. I feel like some of the components have been there. Our pit stops have been really good this year. I feel like Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and everybody has called good races. I think it’s really just on me to do a better job and make sure I’m giving those guys the information that they need to make our car better and then ultimately to go put down a faster lap in qualifying.”
Because rain washed out Coca-Cola 600 qualifying, Elliott will start sixth through the performance metric. It is his best starting position of the season and the second top-10 start since he returned to competition.
“(We’re) just trying to fine-tune all of those little pieces,” Elliott said. “I think the pieces of the puzzle are there, and our team has been performing really well in all of the areas that don’t necessarily pertain to me. So, I’ve been super pleased with all of that and just trying to push and get a little better on my end to make sure I’m bringing my part to the table.”