“I don’t think he can have another flat week”: Chase Elliott tipped by Dale Earnhardt Jr to reach the NASCAR Playoffs

Chase Elliott is still in danger of securing a spot in the playoffs this season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinks Elliott can still make it into the playoffs, but under a condition.

In a recent podcast episode of his podcast, Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt and co-host Mike talked about the possibilities of Chase Elliott securing a spot in this season's playoffs.

“I don’t think he can have another flat week like he did this past weekend in Atlanta,” he said.

Chase Elliott had a horrible weekend and lost five points during the Quaker State 400 at the Atlanta Motorspeedway. But Earnhardt thinks if Chase Elliott scores nine points in all the upcoming races, his chance at the playoffs is still "doable".

Chase Elliott mixed six racks earlier this year after a snowboarding accident. Then he was banned for one race. Now he is on the verge of losing playoff spots. But Earnhardt thinks Eliott can get a playoff spot even without a win.

Everyone is speculating about Chase Elliott's prospects of making the playoffs, but he also demonstrated his potential with back-to-back top-5 finishes and strong outings following his return from injury and suspension.

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Chase Elliott to race at Pocono Raceway

Chase Elliott will make his NASCAR Xfinity debut with Hendrick Motorsport in Pocono next weekend. Out of all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Elliott was the only one who did not participate in the 2022 Xfinity Series Race.

He was originally scheduled to race for the team in the No. 88 Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway in May 2022, but due to the weather and points, he did not qualify, marking his first DNQ in any NASCAR series.

The No. 17 Chevrolet was driven by Kyle Larson at Road America and Darlington Raceway, Alex Bowman at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, and William Byron at Watkins Glen International.

Elliott was not scheduled to drive in the 2023 Xfinity race either. Byron has already driven the No. 17 Chevrolet at Circuit of the Americas this season, while Larson has driven it at Sonoma Raceway.

Bowman will race it at Watkins Glen International on August 19, while Larson will race it again at Darlington Raceway on September 2. So it was only logical to let Eliott drive in Pocono.