Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team have been quietly making it past the hurdles of the ongoing Cup Series season. The 2020 champion is currently one of the 12 drivers who are still in contention for this year’s title. With the first race of the Round of 12 set to begin in Kansas this weekend, the goals are clear for both him and his crew chief, Alan Gustafson.
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When he traveled to Kansas back in May, Elliott qualified in ninth place and finished his race in third. Gustafson hopes for better numbers this time. He told the press recently, “We need to qualify a little better and score more stage points. Those stage points are going to be really critical moving forward here in these playoffs. They’re always critical, but there’s a big emphasis on stage points.”
So, consistency is the weapon that the No. 9 team will pick once again. The other races in this round will be in Talladega and the Charlotte Roval. This makes Kansas the only destination where a victory based on strategy can be ascertained. Every team and driver is aware of this which is why the race will be a heavily contested one. And Gustafson wants to take advantage of the same.
He added, “I think everybody is going to be under the same impression that this is their best chance to control their own destiny and kind of want to take advantage of that. So, I’m looking forward to that. I enjoy going there just because you can race and pass and have some strategy. A lot is in your hands at Kansas.” A win is what he will be aiming for but stage points are the bare minimum he will settle for.
Can Chase Elliott fulfill his crew chief’s expectations in Kansas?
The No. 9 driver is currently seventh in the driver standings, 33 points behind leader Kyle Larson. His last three starts in Kansas have all ended up with finishes inside the top 10. Moreover, he has one victory in the intermediate (2018). Plenty of other top 10 and top 5 finishes color his Kansas record.
He has led 249 laps, has a starting average of 13.5, and a finishing average of 10.2 over 17 starts. If past performances are anything to go by, Elliott is up for a great race this Sunday. But there are still a few who believe that he might not yet be good enough to collect a second Cup Series title.
Racing veteran Kevin Harvick is one of them. He opined on the Harvick Happy Hour podcast that Elliott will be one of the cars to be eliminated in this stage and not make it to the Round of 8. Fans won’t have to wait long to see how accurate his prediction is.
