“Stop Shaking Your Head”: Denny Hamlin’s Emphatic Case for Chase Elliott Making the Playoffs Challenges HMS Driver’s Recent Admission

Even if one considers the time he was away due to injury, Chase Elliott’s current position in the Cup Series standings is far from ideal and certainly a conundrum for most. After his return to racing, he has not been able to climb into the front row of the grid for most of the races, aside from Richmond, staying in contention for a while before finishing outside the top 10.

Despite the odds against him making the playoffs, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin believes that Elliott can and will make it into the playoffs.

Denny Hamlin and co-host discuss Chase Elliott’s playoff possibilities

Speaking on his podcast, Actions Detrimental, Hamlin said, “Breaking news. Chase Elliott is going to make it and he’s going to make it on points. Stop shaking your head. He’s going to make it on points. You will know how I know? Then his co-host, Jared Allen stated, “Yes, please.”

Hamlin continued, “Okay. Show me the points from four weeks ago. Bubba Wallace was like zero to the cut line. Now he’s plus 54. And where has his finishes been? Low teens during that four-week stretch. Now he’s gotten some stage points, but the low teens…”

The JGR driver added, “So he went from about the cut line zero. Let’s just call it zero. I think it was plus minus three, whatever, to now plus 54. Chase Elliott is minus 40. Minus 40 with four races to go. You’re telling me he can’t make up 40 points in four races.”

Hamlin believes Elliott can make up just enough points to be in the playoffs

As the conversation between the two carried on, Allen says, “He’s racing that guy that you’re talking about, who’s had a couple of good weeks. He’s racing that guy and Michael McDowell for that cutline. He’s not racing…” Hamlin then interjects, “Two of them were in, not one.”

Allen continues, “I understand that Chase has to, the 17, 18, and 19 does not really matter, which is he’s racing the cutline, right? So he’s racing McDowell and Bubba.” Subsequently, Hamlin asks, “So you’re saying the Chase Elliott can’t make up 40 points on McDowell in the next four races?”

Thereafter, Allen argues how McDowell is good on road courses that are coming up next. Hamlin then states the obvious – that Chase Elliott is too good on road courses. Incredibly, Elliott himself had mentioned that he was not that great at road courses and most of it was just because of his car and team being good during those races. Regardless of that thought, if both Elliott and McDowell are statistically good at road courses, it will be the ultimate battle between those two to make sure they land that last slot in the postseason.