Chase Elliott dismisses favorites at Talladega playoff race: “I don’t see anyone being a standout” 

Ahead of the Yellawood 500 event, Chase Elliott shared his candid thoughts on the uncertainty of the second Round of the 8 race. With the looming playoff pressure, the Hendrick Motorsports star, who sits below the cutline, has kept a pragmatic approach for the Talladega Superspeedway race.

Elliott secured his 2025 playoff spot with a win at the Quaker State 400 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, snapping a 44-race winless streak. While the 2020 Cup Series champion stayed consistent throughout the season, Elliott managed another victory in the Round of 12 race in Kansas. As the 29-year-old eyes a spot in the Championship 4 race, he needs to survive a drafting track in Alabama.

In a media availability, Chase Elliott, driving the No. 9 Chevy for HMS, addressed the situation, stating that there won't be any favorites at the 2.6-mile track. He said (via Speedway Media):

“I don’t see anyone being a standout. Everybody’s just really close and whoever gets themselves in a good spot and positions themselves well and has some good fortune, you know, is going to have a good day.”

Chase Elliott has managed two wins at the longest NASCAR oval track. He has led 216 laps with an average finish of 14.1 in 19 starts. Moreover, the Chevy driver, earlier this year, racked up a top-five finish.

While Elliott hoped for a strong result after a P4 start last weekend (Las Vegas playoff race), things went south after a misfortune.

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"I thought it was going pretty good": Chase Elliott reflects on his Las Vegas playoff race

Chase Elliott - NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 - Source: Getty

After the Round of 8 opener race in Las Vegas, Chase Elliott shared his honest thoughts on the unfortunate circumstances that derailed his hopes of having a strong result.

In a post-race conversation with NBC Sports, Elliott reflected on his pit road penalty under green flag conditions. He said:

“I thought it was going pretty good for a little while at least. Started the day strong. Thought we had our balance in a really good spot. I was kind of happy about the way it was driving, everything. Unfortunately had a penalty on pit road.I probably missed a little bit on my first read. We only had a couple shots to try and help that,” Chase Elliott continued. “Yeah, I got behind on adjustments for the track position. Couple bad decisions on that last restart.”

So far this season, Chase Elliott has managed two wins, 10 top-5s, and 17 top-10s. Heading into Alabama, he currently sits 23 points below the cutline.

The drafting race at Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled for this Sunday, October 19, at 2 p.m. ET.