Tag: Chase Elliott

Listen to Chase Elliott, No. 9 team react to pace car crash at Phoenix in 2024

Listen to Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team react to the pace car crashing into the sand barrels at Phoenix Raceway in 2024.

[autotag]Chase Elliott[/autotag] had a front-row seat for one of NASCAR’s most bizarre moments of the 2024 Cup Series season. At the start of Stage 2, the pace car dove onto pit road in front of Elliott; however, it was a tad too late. The pace car made contact with the sand barrels at the entry of pit road and caused a red flag for cleanup.

Initially, there was some speculation on the NBC Sports broadcast, even from the No. 9 team, that Elliott made contact with the pace car. Fortunately, the pace car didn’t slide across the No. 9 car’s nose, but it undoubtedly provided one of NASCAR’s craziest red flag moments in recent memory.

Below, you can listen to Elliott and the No. 9 team react to the pace car crashing into the sand barrels on pit road at Phoenix during Championship Weekend!

What a crazy way to end the 2024 NASCAR season!

[lawrence-related id=19585,19565,19525]

Chase Elliott’s path to the Championship 4 requires a win at Martinsville in 2024

Chase Elliott is not mathematically in a “must-win situation,” but his path to the Championship 4 almost requires a win at Martinsville.

[autotag]Chase Elliott[/autotag] had a brilliant performance at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend, but it wasn’t enough for the victory. Elliott brought the No. 9 car home with a fifth-place finish and a staggering 49 points; however, he still left Homestead with a 43-point deficit to the playoff cut-line. It isn’t mathematically a “must-win situation,” but what needs to happen is clear.

Elliott’s realistic path to the Championship 4 requires a win at Martinsville Speedway in the Round of 8 finale this weekend. The Hendrick Motorsports driver won at Martinsville when needed in 2020, which provides the layout of what needs to occur on Sunday. In fact, Elliott finished in third place behind teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson in the spring.

There is no doubt that Elliott can compete for the win at Martinsville, but he must find a way to finish the event. Before his third-place finish in April, Elliott had a best finish of 10th place three times in five races. The driver of the No. 9 car also led at least 80 laps in three of those five races, so it strictly comes down to his performance near the end of the race in the Final Stage.

Elliott is one of NASCAR’s best drivers at Martinsville, and the points won’t matter when the No. 9 team hits the track for practice and qualifying on Saturday. There isn’t a realistic path for a Championship 4 berth on points, so it’s all hands on deck moving forward. Elliott needs a win at the most important time, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him in victory lane.

[lawrence-related id=18976,18973,18970]

Hendrick Playoff drivers confident of advancing to title race

The three Hendrick Motorsports teammates who are still fighting for a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series championship race have all expressed confidence about their chances to advance with one race left in the Round of 8. But all three drivers face …

The three Hendrick Motorsports teammates who are still fighting for a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series championship race have all expressed confidence about their chances to advance with one race left in the Round of 8.

But all three drivers face different challenges going into the elimination race. William Byron is the only Hendrick driver sitting in a transfer spot, but he’s on the bubble with a slim seven-point advantage.

“Absolutely,” Byron said of getting the job done at Martinsville Speedway (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET). “We did it in the spring, so we should be able to.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

Byron’s spring triumph at Martinsville Speedway was his third win in the first eight races of the season. He hasn’t won since.

On Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Byron finished sixth. It was his fifth consecutive top 10 finish, however, a victory by Tyler Reddick shrunk Byron’s advantage on the cutline by 20 points.

“We kind of had what we had (Sunday),” Byron said. “We weren’t good enough, and we were just trying to get all we could. I feel like a sixth-place finish is good. If it had gone green there, we were going to end up top-five. I don’t know how that changes the points, but we just have to go to Martinsville Speedway and compete for a win.”

Byron sits one spot ahead of Kyle Larson, who is seven points out of a transfer spot. For the second straight week, Larson and his team had to fight from behind after an early race issue.

At Homestead, it was a puncture that caused Larson to hit the wall in the first stage. He then spun in the final stage, with 13 laps to go, while battling Ryan Blaney for the race lead. Larson tried to squeeze between Blaney and Austin Dillon in Turn 3.

“You’re making split-second decisions,” Larson said after finishing 13th. “Austin did nothing wrong. I was just hoping that he would see me coming as (Blaney) got to his inside, and maybe he’d run a lane off the wall just to give me some clean air. He continued to run his line.

“I had a little bit of a hole and I was trying to shoot the gap to get in front of the No. 3 and get to the wall quickly to either hopefully stay on the outside of the No. 12 or build a run to have a shot at him in (Turns) 1 and 2. But yeah, it just didn’t work out.

“I was going as hard as I could. The No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy team did a great job rebounding after the flat tire.”

Larson was the biggest points loser Sunday. He went from 35 points above the cutline to seven below.

“We’ve been strong at Martinsville at times, so we’ll see,” Larson said. “It’s not my best track, but I’ve been a lot better there since I joined Hendrick Motorsports. We just need to qualify well and give it our best shot.”

Meanwhile, Chase Elliott shaved some points off his deficit towards a transfer spot but is still in a must win situation. Elliott finished fifth at Homestead after an early DNF in the opening race of the round at Las Vegas when collected in a multi-car crash. Elliott is last on the playoff grid in a 43-point hole.

“I just got tighter and tighter as the day went on,” Elliott said of Sunday’s race. “I was just trying to manage that on the front side of a run, and ultimately, I just didn’t do a great job of managing it. When the pace got quicker and everyone started pushing, I didn’t really have anything left to push.

“It was a really solid couple of weeks for the No. 9 NAPA Chevy team, from a pace perspective. That’s encouraging as you move along in the playoffs.”

Elliott, like his teammates, is a winner at Martinsville Speedway. Elliott won the fall race at Martinsville in 2020, which advanced him into the championship race which he went on to win and claim the Cup Series title.

“Very confident,” Elliott said of the upcoming weekend.

Hendrick Motorsports has won five of the last eight Martinsville Speedway races. Following Eliott’s win in 2020, Alex Bowman won in the fall of 2021, Byron in the spring of 2022, and Larson in the spring of 2023. Plus, the aforementioned Byron victory from earlier this season.

And in the spring race from April, Hendrick Motorsports went 1-2-3 in a race that celebrated its 40th anniversary, with Byron leading Larson and Elliott across the finish line.

Chase Elliott addresses playoff-altering wreck at Las Vegas in 2024

Chase Elliott addresses his playoff-altering wreck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024. What did Elliott have to say about the big wreck?

[autotag]Chase Elliott[/autotag] entered Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a nine-point deficit to the playoff cut-line, and the worst-case scenario took place. In Stage 2, Elliott found himself with severe damage after an incident with Martin Truex Jr. and Tyler Reddick, which caused the No. 45 car to flip down the front stretch. As a result, the Hendrick Motorsports driver left with a 52-point deficit.

After the event, Elliott addressed the playoff-altering wreck with Reddick and Truex, which has essentially put him in a must-win situation over the next two weeks at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway.

“[Tyler Reddick] was coming with a really big run on the top,” Elliott said. “I don’t think [Martin Truex Jr.] knew that, and he was kind of running as if we were two-wide. Once I recognized that there wasn’t going to be enough room, I bailed and there was just nowhere to bail. It was too late. I need to sit down and take a look at it.”

“I was, personally, just trying to get out of the situation, and it was just a little too late at that point. It sucks. Our No. 9 Chevy was really, really good there at the start. It was the best we’ve been out here in this new car, so it was just a bad day for that.”

Elliott arguably had a top-3 or top-5 car at Las Vegas, but he must focus on winning one of the next two races now. The driver of the No. 9 car has a best finish of 14th place at Homestead in the last three races, so it may come down to Martinsville in two weeks. Either way, the wreck has left Elliott in a massive hole, and it will be tough for him to claw himself out of it.

[lawrence-related id=18619,18577,18580]

Chase Elliott discusses playoff-altering wreck at Talladega in 2024

Chase Elliott discusses his playoff-altering wreck at Talladega Superspeedway in 2024. Find out what Elliott had to say about the “Big One.”

[autotag]Chase Elliott[/autotag] entered the second race in the Round of 12 with a four-point advantage to the playoff cut-line, and he somehow left in the positives. Elliott departed Talladega Superspeedway with a 29th-place finish but now sits 13 points above the cut-line. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion holds the final playoff spot, so there isn’t a margin for error at the Charlotte ROVAL.

Following the event, Elliott discussed the playoff-altering wreck in the closing laps. At the time of the incident, Elliott sat 17 points above the cut line as the running order was in his favor.

“I thought [Ricky Stenhouse Jr.] and I had a really good system going there. I was really pleased with my spot. I thought I had a lot of what was going to transpire, was in my hands, which is what I want at the end of these things. Unfortunately, what was in my hands ended up biting us. I don’t really know what you do about that. We were in a good position.”

“The No. 9 Chevy team executed a good second half of the race. We were right there when it counted. I’m not sure how I got clipped. I thought I had it missed. Somebody just barely clipped me, and it sent me spinning.”

Elliott has been the best driver at the Charlotte ROVAL since its introduction to NASCAR, so he should feel confident going into this weekend. However, it only takes one issue or wreck to take him out of the playoff picture. If Elliott can have a clean day with luck on his side, there should be a Round of 8 spot in his future.

[lawrence-related id=18035,18033,18026]

Which NASCAR driver has the most wins at the Charlotte ROVAL?

Which NASCAR driver has the most wins at the Charlotte ROVAL? Check out who tops the list at the ROVAL!

NASCAR has a long and storied history in Concord, NC, but the Charlotte ROVAL is a different story dating back to the 2018 season. Since that point, the NASCAR Cup Series has competed in only six races. However, which NASCAR driver has the most wins at the Charlotte ROVAL? The answer won’t surprise you due to their previous success in the sport.

[autotag]Chase Elliott[/autotag] has two victories at the Charlotte ROVAL, which makes him the most successful driver at the track in NASCAR history. Elliott is the only driver to have more than one Cup Series victory at the venue, as other notable drivers, such as Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Ryan Blaney, carry one win to their name. Elliott’s last win at the Charlotte ROVAL came in 2020.

NASCAR’s future at the Charlotte ROVAL is secured for at least the 2025 season, as the Cup Series won’t return to the oval layout yet. However, that doesn’t mean NASCAR won’t make a change soon. If so, Elliott could become the most successful driver at the race track for the foreseeable future.

[lawrence-related id=18008]

Elliott to start Cup race at Kansas from rear after engine change

Chase Elliott will start at the rear of the field Sunday at Kansas Speedway because of an engine issue with his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Elliott felt he was potentially down a cylinder during Saturday’s practice and his team did what …

Chase Elliott will start at the rear of the field Sunday at Kansas Speedway because of an engine issue with his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Elliott felt he was potentially down a cylinder during Saturday’s practice and his team did what they could under the hood on pit road. He ran 19 laps in practice and wound up 15th fastest overall.

“We’re not sure,” Elliott told NBC Sports of the issue. “We threw all the things [at it] that you can check on pit road. Obviously, when you have an engine issue like that, it can be difficult to identify what exactly is broken. For me, I came off Turn 2 and basically felt like it went down a cylinder; audible change, and lost a lot of power, so I knew something was wrong and came in as quick as I could just to try to keep from messing it up any worse.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

In qualifying, Elliott did make a lap to the best of the car’s ability and to scuff the tires that carry over into the race, but then drove straight to the garage. Elliott was 38th of 38 drivers with his qualifying lap but would have started in the rear regardless, as the team will make an engine change ahead of the Hollywood Casino 400.

Kansas Speedway (3 p.m. ET, Sunday) is the first race in the Round of 12 in the playoffs.

Elliott begins the round sitting seventh on the playoff grid, six points above the cutline. He is a former winner at Kansas Speedway in 2018 and finished third at the track in the spring race.

“Such a bummer; what a terrible time to have something go wrong,” Elliott said. “The Hendrick engine shop has been so good throughout my career. I don’t even think I’ve filled up a hand of engine issues that we’ve had over the course of my entire career. I hate it, but I would much rather have it happen today than tomorrow.”

Chase Elliott advocates for NASCAR to shorten the Cup Series season

Chase Elliott advocates for NASCAR to shorten the Cup Series season. Check out what Elliott said on his idea to shorten the NASCAR calendar!

[autotag]Chase Elliott[/autotag] is in the midst of another NASCAR playoff run after missing the show in 2023. Elliott currently sits 24 points above the cut-line with two races left in the Round of 16. As mid-September rolls around, NASCAR has nine races left in the 2024 season; however, if it were up to Elliott, there would be even fewer races left or none at all.

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series joined The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi for a special segment on “The Teardown” and was asked what the sport could learn from college football. Elliott pointed to the length of the season, which doesn’t mean the amount of races.

“I think they do a lot of things well,” Elliott said. “I mean, we’ve talked about this, but I think the first thing is the length of the season. They get a lot in, and when I say length of the season, I’m not necessarily talking about number of races. But just the amount of calendar year that you burn in doing it.”

https://twitter.com/nascaronfox/status/1779652909824704641?s=46

“Their season is fairly short right and when it rolls back around, it’s exciting. It’s been waiting all year for this, and I think that’s cool, and our sport could use a little more of man I missed that. I really wish there was a race on this weekend. That sucks that it is not, but when it does come back. I’m going to be really fired up to watch it. I think that’s healthy.”

This is something that Elliott has advocated for a long time. Elliott has previously said he wishes NASCAR wouldn’t battle against the NFL when their season starts in early September. NASCAR may never shorten the calendar year itself, but Elliott will continue to advocate for a longer offseason and a more compact schedule.

[lawrence-related id=15470]

Ryan Blaney gives short answer on incident with Chase Elliott at Michigan

Ryan Blaney gives a short answer on incident with Chase Elliott at Michigan in 2024. Find out what Blaney said on Monday afternoon!

[autotag]Chase Elliott[/autotag] and [autotag]Ryan Blaney[/autotag] were in position for solid top-10 finishes at Michigan International Speedway; however, it went south on the final lap. Elliott and Blaney exited Turn 1 above Brad Keselowski, and the No. 9 car drifted up and the No. 9 car. Elliott finished in 15th place, while Blaney earned an 18th-place finish.

Following the event, Blaney was asked by The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck about his incident with Elliott on the final lap at Michigan. The 2023 Cup Series champion was short and deflected everything to Elliott.

“Ask [Chase Elliott],” Blaney said.

According to Gluck, Elliott made a quick exit from pit road in Michigan and couldn’t get an answer. The two drivers are good friends, so it would be reasonable that some answers should be provided at Daytona International Speedway this weekend. Blaney may feel like he owes one to Elliott, and it will be interesting to see what happens moving forward.

[lawrence-related id=16388]

Rain postpones Cup Series at Michigan to Monday at 11am ET

The remainder of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway has been postponed until 11am. ET Monday due to intermittent rain and diminishing daylight. For the second-straight year, rain delayed the start of NASCAR’s annual …

The remainder of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway has been postponed until 11am. ET Monday due to intermittent rain and diminishing daylight.

For the second-straight year, rain delayed the start of NASCAR’s annual Cup race at Michigan. One of many scattered showers arrived just as the field was a lap away from the green flag at 3:25pm ET. A window opened up for the race to start 90 minutes later, but heavier showers were on the way.

The field ultimately completed a quarter of the scheduled distance before being red flagged on lap 52 of 200. NASCAR briefly waited out the storm, but ultimately elected to postpone to Monday with a poor forecast and only a couple hours of remaining daylight to work with. Michigan doesn’t have lights to race into the night.

USA Network will carry coverage of the resumed race on Monday, along with MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Ryan Blaney won the opening stage on Sunday over Chase Elliott, William Byron, Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher. Kyle Larson led the first 34 laps before losing the top spot to Wallace in a battle that also included Denny Hamlin. Wallace was leading on lap 39 when Hamlin spun, bringing out a caution. Blaney was among those that stayed out while Wallace and others pitted.

Elliott holds the lead as of the stoppage over Martin Truex Jr., Wallace, Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick. Kyle Busch, Larson, Ross Chastain, Chase Briscoe and Joey Logano complete the top 10.