Chase Elliott Insists Why He Isn’t Panicking Just Yet Despite Worrying NASCAR Season

If one had to take a driver’s name who is having perhaps the most disappointing season among all the drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, chances are the name would come out to be Chase Elliott. The Hendrick Motorsports driver’s injury at the start of the season saw him miss a few weeks of racing. Then it was his penalty and a one-race suspension after Charlotte, all of which has left him in a pretty tricky spot in the sense of his hunt for the ultimate prize in Phoenix.

Considering the situation he and the #9 team are in as we head into the second half of the season, which will lead into the playoffs, it’d be normal to expect that there’s a sense of extra motivation in their camp. After all, they haven’t won a race yet this year and with every subsequent winless week, their chances of making it to the playoffs grow grimmer and grimmer.

But Elliott claims there’s nothing extra there in his team, that they aren’t doing anything new or changing their pre-decided course in a state of panic based on where they are at this point.

Chase Elliott rules out the sense of extra motivation amid the state of his season

During a media interaction ahead of the Ally 400 in Nashville this weekend, Elliott was asked whether there’s a feeling of perseverance in the #9 team considering how their season has gone so far this year. Moreover, the HMS driver was asked if they were keeping things as they have been or if there was a little sense of extra motivation and urgency.

“Not really, honestly. I feel like a lot of times when you put yourself in those situations, it doesn’t always get better when you’re 11 out of 10, right? I think just being in that nice sweet spot of pushing but not pushing too far, and pushing yourself and your team, but not pushing them too far. So I think there is a balance there where I feel like we’ve done the best and had the best results, and I think that’s just where we need to stay, personally,” Elliott responded.

“When we do our jobs at that level and to the best of our abilities, I feel like it’s been plenty good enough to go and contend. We just have to fall into that rhythm and just do our thing.”

Elliott claims there’s no need for changing anything

The #9 driver claimed that he doesn’t feel the need to “push too hard” under the circumstances. He insisted their approach is still the same and they’re just making sure they execute their targets. “I don’t think we really need to change anything,” Elliott said.

“As bad as the year has been to a lot of people, I feel like it’s kind of fun. We’ve got 10 weeks left and you either get in the show or you don’t. The playoffs are kind of like that. When you get in those last 10, you either have to run well the next week or you go home. So it’s kind of that way now.”

For him, Elliott added, he’s “kind of” enjoying it and looking forward to the challenge ahead, seeing if they can figure things out.