Elliott advances in playoffs with victory

TALLADEGA, ALA. >> Chase Elliott raced his way into the next round of the playoffs with a victory Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in the first clean race yet of this year’s postseason.

Elliott was fifth on the final restart with two laps remaining and claimed control of the outside lane to stalk leader Ryan Blaney. The 2020 Cup champion surged ahead with a push from Erik Jones on the final lap, threw a block on Blaney’s attempt to reclaim the win and then beat Blaney to the finish line by .046 seconds.

Elliott is the first driver through five playoff races to automatically advance into the next round with a victory. The first four races were won by drivers not eligible for the championship in a chaotic start to the 10race postseason.

NASCAR’S new Next Gen suddenly developed a rash of problems, from mechanical failures, tire problems and unexplained fires, and the stiffness of the car has led to violent crashes that have injured at least three drivers. Alex Bowman and

Kurt Busch are sidelined with concussions, and Cody Shane Ware raced Sunday with a broken foot. Busch has missed 11 consecutive races, while Bowman was injured just last week.

The Bowman concussion pushed the drivers to their breaking point as veterans began to openly criticize NASCAR’S slow response to concerns they claim they’ve been raising from the early stages of the Next Gen’s development.

On Saturday, the mildmannered Elliott at last offered his opinion and chastised NASCAR for taking a step backward in safety. It was unusual offering of opinion by NASCAR’S threetime most popular driver, who typically avoids controversial conversations.

But with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Bowman sidelined, Elliott made clear that the Next Gen needs to be fixed. His comments came amidst unfounded rumors the drivers were considering either some sort of boycott Sunday at Talladega, one of the most unpredictable and chaotic tracks on the calendar.

But all 37 drivers turned up at their cars on time Sunday.