An injury i a suspension interrupted the first half of Chase Elliott’s season and left him far below the playoff cutoff line. However, do not panic.
There are six races left in the regular season. Elliott is 60 points below the cut line. That’s not a recipe for success, but it doesn’t change his mindset heading into Pocono.
“My thought process since all of this has happened is that we’re going to have to win,” Elliott said during a news conference Friday.
“That’s what everyone was saying until we had a few good points weeks and then everyone was like, ‘Oh, he can point his way.’ So stories can change pretty quickly.”
That mindset is one Elliott shares with Hendrick Motorsports Vice President Jeff Gordon. Making the playoffs for points is acceptable, but the goal is to win races and really fight for a championship.
The Hall of Famer explained during a July 14 appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio: “We know what challenges they’ve had to overcome, and they’ve been fighting hard to get back there and get into the playoffs.
“But at the same time, you want to do it by winning, and you want to do it so that when you get to the playoffs, you’re going deep into the playoffs.”
Winning is the goal, but work remains. The No. 9 team must consistently run inside the top 10 to make the next step. That’s something that has eluded him since Elliott’s return a fractured tibia in April
Compare the first 20 races of last season with the current campaign. Elliott had three wins and finished in the top 10 in 70% of his starts. He then won at Pocono in his 21st start.
Elliott has made 13 starts this year. He is yet to win, and has only top 10 finishes in 53.8% of his starts.
Now look at the standings: Elliott had an average starting position of 10.7 last season with three pole wins.
This year, his average starting position is 18.7 through 13 runs. That number will only change after Pocono, as Elliott spun during qualifying. He will start 35th after failing to complete a lap.
Despite the stop-and-start nature of the season and the struggles, Elliott has indicated that he has actually enjoyed some of the experience. Fighting for points and consistency has provided a bit of a throwback feel, and he’s had “fun” trying to change some of the narratives.
“In those situations like in years past, like last year, when we had a good year, we had a lot of playoff spots in the postseason, and I’m glad we did because that got us to Phoenix,” Elliott said.
“But in years when we didn’t, it was about you having to show up every week and really get it in those last 10 (weeks) if you wanted to advance, and that’s really how it feels right now.”
Pocono is the next opportunity for Elliott and the No. 9 team. This track is one where Elliott has been consistent overall. He has eight top-10 finishes and four top-five finishes in 13 career starts. He also inherited the victory last year after initially finishing third behind disqualified Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch.
Elliott has performed well at Pocono Raceway during his career. He is still not particularly confident in his ability to fight for victory. This weekend will be more about getting close to the front of the pack for the final restart so that we can continue to ‘spoil’ after the final stretch of racing.
Sonoma, Nashville and Chicago were all solid outings for Elliott. He finished fifth, fourth and third. Atlanta and New Hampshire finished Elliott out of the top 10.
Elliott crashed a lap at New Hampshire after struggling with handling early, but was able to take advantage of back-to-back cautions and the wave. He saved his day and avoided losing points. He just hasn’t won any.
Elliott has experienced the ups and downs of Cup racing this season. He has held strong performances and faced adversity. He has embraced every moment ignoring the distractions. All that’s left for him is to take care of business in the remaining regular season races.
“He’s just riding the wave,” Elliott said. “It’s like my dad has said over the years, ‘You just have to ride the wave and keep working, and everything will work out.’
