The Round of 12 race in the Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday had everything expected of it. An overtime photo finish after what was the biggest crash in NASCAR history made it an eventful affair. But one too many drivers in the playoffs were caught in that massive wreck that occurred with 5 laps to go in the race and among them was Chase Elliott.
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The Hendrick Motorsports star driver was running in the top four as the race neared its end but was caught in the accident which involved 28 cars. His No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro suffered extensive damage and he had to settle for a lowly 29th place. This has left him a mere 13 points above the Round of 8 elimination line with only the Charlotte Roval race to go.
He told reporter Bob Pockrass after the race, “I was right where I wanted to be. I thought Ricky and I had a really good system there. I was really pleased with my spot and I had a lot of… what was going to transpire was really in hand. Which is what I want at the end of these things. Unfortunately, that bit that was not in my hands ended up biting us. But I don’t know what you do about that.”
Eight of the 12 playoff drivers were involved in the incident. Kyle Larson, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, and Christopher Bell were the only ones to escape unscathed. JTG Daugherty Racing driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. did so too from outside the cut and went on to win the event. He is the second consecutive non-playoff driver to win a race after Ross Chastain’s victory in Kansas.
How did Chase Elliott’s teammates fare in Talladega?
Byron and Larson had a big points day. The former finished third and Larson came in fourth. After an impressive showing in Kansas, Byron’s result in Talladega was enough to put him through to the Round of 8. Larson isn’t far behind currently sitting 52 points above the elimination line.
The No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro driver was left particularly pleased since the Roval gives him jitters. He told the press, “It’s cool to finally go into the Charlotte ROVAL with a 52-point gap. That race is so (stressful). It’s way more stressful to me than Talladega Superspeedway, so glad to not have to worry about it as much.”
Alex Bowman was one of those involved in the final crash as well. However, he was able to claw his way back to a better finish than Elliott. He finished his race in 16th place and sits 26 points above the elimination line. Elliott occupies the eighth and final transfer spot. Hence, he has the most work to do this weekend.
