NASCAR Fans Blame Chase Elliott’s Crew Chief, Claim He “Should’ve Been Fired a Long Time Ago” Amid Continuing Struggles

NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (9) (left) with his crew chief Alan Gustafson prior to the NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Chase Elliott’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson, is under fire from the Hendrick Motorsports fandom once again. The latest flurry of criticism came after Elliott’s streak of finishing inside the top-20 in the first 23 races of the ongoing season came to an end at Watkins Glen on Sunday.

The No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro came home across the checkered flag in 26th place and lost 24 points to William Byron, who sits at the top of the standings. Elliott now trails his teammate by 42 points in the battle to be the regular-season champion.

On a positive note, he is still 39 points above third-placed Denny Hamlin. But such a mediocre result at a road course is a massive disappointment, especially since Watkins Glen is a track where Elliott has won twice before. And the blame for it has fallen on Gustafson and his strategy to keep Elliott on defense for most of the race at The Glen.

Elliott has always been an ace on road courses and was expected to perform well on Sunday. This is why the 26th-place was difficult to accept for many. “Blame the dumbass crew chief who should’ve been fired a long time ago,” wrote a fan on X.

The opinions on Gustafson’s stint as Elliott’s crew chief are mixed. Icons such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Elliott himself have expressed appreciation for Gustafson’s work. But fans lash out at him every time he makes a strategy that doesn’t work out. Hence, the predominant opinion among fans is that he ought to be fired.

“Putting your driver on defense for 2/3 of the race isn’t going to help the lack of speed either. Something is off with this team and has been since 2023.” A third declared, “Time for a CC change,” read another fan comment.

One fan proposed a replacement: “If you finish 26th on an RC with Chase Elliott as your driver, questions need to be asked. But they won’t. Alan is the best CC ever, right!? Adam Wall needs to save this team.” 

Adam Wall, 35, is the crew chief of the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Xfinity Series team. He had won the 2021 Cup Series championship with Kyle Larson as his lead race engineer.

Elliott has won just two races since the start of 2023. But the driver has been the most consistent in the field in the same span. That is an achievement owed to Gustafson‘s strategic acumen. And a second championship could silence all the criticism against the crew chief.

Post Edited By: Leslie Xavier
Alan Gustafson Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Watkins Glen

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Gowtham Ramalingam

Gowtham is a NASCAR journalist at The SportsRush. Though his affinity for racing stems from Formula 1, he found himself drawn to NASCAR's unparalleled excitement over the years. As a result he has shared his insights and observations by authoring over 3000 articles on the sport. An avid fiction writer, you can find him lost in imaginary worlds when he is not immersed in racing. He hopes to continue savoring the thrill of every lap and race together with his readers for as long as he can.

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