Time Running Out for Chase Elliott as NASCAR Playoffs Draw Near: “I Hate I Put Them in That Spot”

With time and races both running out, 2020 NASCAR champion Chase Elliott needs to win a race to get into the playoffs before the regular season ends. Despite his commendable 3rd place finish in Chicago, that all-important victory still remains elusive this season. The weekend leading up to the race had been pretty problematic for the driver after he botched the qualifications following a wreck.

Even though he managed to bounce back during Sunday’s race, the Hendrick Motorsports star expressed his dissatisfaction over placing his team in such a difficult position. Meanwhile, as the remaining few races of the regular season draw closer, it appears that time is running out for Elliott.

Chase Elliott explains putting his team in a bad spot after Chicago’s problems

Speaking to the press, Elliott stated, “I’ve just struggled. Just wasn’t very fast and was trying to just get comfortable finding more pace. I felt like I was just starting to get a big chunk of what I needed. Then obviously made a mistake and put us in a really big hole and I crashed again today and got super lucky. For me personally, I’ve just appreciated everybody digging in and putting this car together.”

“I hate I put them in that spot, to begin with. And then crashed again today and got super behind. Obviously, we were one of the beneficiaries of the race distance having to be shortened because it was going to be dark. So we went from not being in our window to me crashing that second time…”

“Us being on pit road and fixing it to fueling up one more time and getting us enough fuel to get to the end. A long weekend, but a decent result considering how bad of a job I feel like I did for the past 48 hours.”

Chase Elliott believes the rain made the race better at Chicago

Elliott went on to detail during the press conference how the unexpected rain added a layer of excitement for the drivers on the circuit. He explained, “I think the rain added an element of excitement for TV or the fans here at the racetrack.”

Regardless, he declared the event successful in spite of these obstacles. He pointed out the challenge in finding opportunities to overtake, especially when potential passing zones were still a bit damp, creating a balance between risk and reward.

Had he been fast enough toward the end of the race, there could have been a possibility to outpace Justin Haley to the finish line. However, surpassing Shane van Gisbergen would have posed a significant challenge. Therefore, the HMS driver will need to score that much-needed win in the upcoming series of road course races to get into the playoffs.