Popular Elliott aiming to get into playoff hunt
LEBANON, Tenn. — Chase Elliott prefers to view a very challenging season as opportunity, not pressure.
The 2022 Cup Series champ who won a career-high five races last year taking the regular season title sits 27th in the points standings as NASCAR returns from the lone break in its 38-race season. Elliott has started only nine of 16 races. A leg broken while snowboarding cost him six starts, a suspension another.
The Cup Series’ most popular driver five years running sits 278 points behind leader Martin Truex Jr. with time running out to qualify for the playoffs.
“We’re in a tough spot, but I think it’s a good opportunity to go and have some fun and embrace the challenge,” Elliott said. “And that’s really kind of where my head’s at.”
All of NASCAR — Elliott especially — should be rested up for the stretch run starting tonight with the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.
The 27-year-old Elliott should be a bit more rested than others after serving that suspension at St. Louis for wrecking Denny Hamlin at Charlotte. He finished fifth at Sonoma going into the break.
Elliott also survived a nearly seven-hour marathon to win at this track a year ago. He and the rest of his Hendricks Motorsports’ teammates on the No. 9 Chevrolet started poorly and used the weather delay to adjust well enough to win.
“A lot’s changed in the course of the year,” Elliott said.
One win would fix a lot, and four of the 10 tracks left in the regular season are places Elliott has won five of his 18 career Cup wins. Competition is tight with only 32 points separating the top seven drivers. Elliott will start 14th after Saturday’s qualifying.
Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. is curious to see how Elliott responds to the challenge down the stretch. Elliott’s absence earlier this year affected TV viewership, and not making the playoffs could only ramp up the pressure. Earnhardt said he’s confident in Elliott’s approach and personality to help now.
“When he goes home and he disconnects from the sport, I think he does a really good job of putting himself in places where he can let go and where he can get away from that overbearing pressure,” Earnhardt said.
CHASTAIN WINS FIRST POLE
Trackhouse Racing and Ross Chastain notched a pair of firsts Saturday as the driver earned both the first pole of his career and the first for his team, and it’s even more special at a track the team considers it’s home after setting up headquarters in Nashville.
Chastain came to Nashville fourth in the Cup points race looking for his first win this season. He won twice last year, the second the spring race at Talladega. He noted qualifying hasn’t been a strength in his career, and he called it incredible to record Trackhouse’s first pole at the team’s home track.
He was emotional as he got out of the car.
“The tears out there were of joy and like satisfaction, just happiness that it’s paid off right?” Chastain said. “It’s just all this comes down to speed and hundredths and thousandths of a second, and that we were able to do it. ”
Chastain will start beside Tyler Reddick with Justin Haley, Joey Logano and William Byron rounding out the top five.