Did Chase Elliott Jeopardize NASCAR Regular Season Title for Short-Term Gain?

Despite just one win so far, Chase Elliott has been in the hunt for the NASCAR regular season championship on the back of incredible consistency. However, the Hendrick Motorsports driver seemingly jeopardized his chances on the final lap of the race at the Michigan International Speedway on Monday.

A graphic popped up at one point during the race which showed the #9 driver to be two points clear of Tyler Reddick at the top of the table. That was when the 23XI Racing star was leading and Elliott was P7. On the final lap, however, the 2020 champion seemed to nudge the current champion Ryan Blaney after the two made contact. This forced them both to lift and NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver was only able to finish P15. He lost the lead in the regular season championship as a result.

Reddick is 10 points clear at the top and with only two races remaining, it is going to be an uphill battle to reclaim that top spot. With the 23XI star winning at Michigan, he became another driver with more playoff points than the Georgia native. Elliott may find himself in a hairy situation if he’s not able to gain more playoff points before the regular season comes to an end.

The last two regular season races are not going to be easy for the #9 driver. He has never won a race at Darlington and only has two wins in 20 starts at Daytona. Given the kind of form 23XI Racing has been in of late, replacing Reddick at the top of the table will probably require a race win. That or if something goes wrong with the #45 in the next couple of races.

For now, though, it seems like Reddick has a solid advantage heading into Daytona and Darlington. He will be looking to extend his lead at the top of the table and earn himself 15 more playoff points, something that could make-or-break his quest for a maiden championship for the young team.