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Chase Elliott is a driver that is expected to do a lot from season to season. The experienced NASCAR driver is in the playoffs, but there's a question about whether he can compete in the Championship 4. No matter how good and talented he is, some are not sure he can be among the four drivers fighting for the championship. There are many good drivers from season to season, so it’s hard to give a clear answer about what to expect.
Well-known names in NASCAR, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi, talked about Elliott's chances of being part of Phoenix Raceway next month in a discussion for The Athletic. Gluck mainly focused on the race in Kansas where Elliott finished ninth. Gluck isn’t sure Elliott can shine, considering that solid races haven’t really shown that things will look good. In many moments this season, Elliott has faltered when he shouldn't have.
“They did what they needed to do, I guess,” Gluck said, as quoted by On3.
“I think he has three top 10s in four starts here to open the playoffs all except for Watkins Glenn. …But you look at the points and you’re like, ‘Well, you know I guess they’re alright, but he’s only plus four. That’s another mysterious one to me where you keep sort of thinking they’re gonna be okay and they’re gonna hit on something and he’s gonna have this breakout races and he’s gonna win his way in."
He pointed out that Elliott is definitely a great driver who can be a threat to others, but he emphasizes that he can't firmly believe Elliott will be part of the final four, considering his somewhat inconsistent performances. However, he admits that he has the same opinion about other NASCAR drivers as well. It seems that nobody has really impressed Gluck this season.
Bianchi agreed with Gluck, stating that Elliott needs to take the next step to have a chance at winning the championship. He believes that the current situation reflects the whole season – Elliott is among the best and has good stats, even being second or third in points during the regular season and leading a few weeks.
NASCAR fans know how dangerous it is to be in the lead while others are breathing down your neck. The competition is fierce, and many drivers push themselves to the limit in these races, wanting to fight for the top spot and achieve the success they've dreamed of since entering the NASCAR scene. Chase knows that feeling, but we’ll see if he is mentally strong enough to maintain the necessary lead and seal the deal.
However, Bianchi points out that, while that’s good, something is still missing. Elliott isn’t leading many laps, isn’t winning stages, and isn’t showing what a championship-winning team should have. Still, he is in the mix and doing enough to stay afloat. Bianchi feels that was the case in the last race; it wasn’t a great performance, but Elliott finished in the top ten, which is good considering that other drivers had rough days.
The 28-year-old is optimistic and believes he can turn things around in the upcoming races. His hopes are truly impressive, so we’ll see what Elliott can really offer to his fans and all those who follow him.
Chase Elliott reacts
Chase Elliott will start at the rear of the field on Sunday at Kansas Speedway due to engine problems. They still don’t know what the main issue is, but they will try to figure out what happened. The 28-year-old described how things looked from his perspective, thinking that a cylinder could be the main problem. Chase knew something was wrong and felt frustrated, but he is aware that he can’t change much at the moment.
“We’re not sure,” Elliott said.
“We threw all the things that you can check on pit road. Obviously, when you have an engine issue like that, it can be difficult to identify what exactly is broken. For me, I came off Turn 2 and basically felt like it went down a cylinder; audible change, and lost a lot of power, so I knew something was wrong and came in as quick as I could just to try to keep from messing it up any worse.”
Elliott expressed his disappointment about the timing of the engine issues, emphasizing how frustrating it is for something to go wrong at such a critical moment. He stressed that the Hendrick engine shop has been reliable throughout his career, mentioning that he hasn’t experienced many engine problems at all. While he hates the situation, he preferred it happening today rather than during a more important race tomorrow.
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