Elliott writing a new checkered history
Chase Elliott won at Kansas Speedway on Sunday for his second victory in three races, cementing himself as a title threat late in a NASCAR Cup season in which Hendrick Motorsports has lagged.
Elliott needed 98 starts and maybe a dozen nearmisses before he finally closed out his first Cup victory in August. The breakthrough sparked Elliott’s playoff performance, the second round bookended by two Elliott victories.
“We’re going to keep the hammer down,” Elliott said. “I feel like we are among those guys that you have to beat.”
Elliott is the only Hendrick driver and single Chevrolet representative in the round of eight. Teammate Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time champion, was eliminated in the first round and Alex Bowman was knocked out Sunday. Also eliminated were Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski, both winners in the first round, and Kyle Larson.
Advancing into the third round were Elliott, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Aric Almirola and Joey Logano.
Hamilton is denied
Kimi Raikkonen earned his first win since 2013, and a good day from Ferrari at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, denied Lewis Hamilton’s bid for a fifth Formula One championship. Hamilton’s third-place finish and Sebastian Vettel’s fourth pushed the clincher back another week.