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Heading into Alabama, Chase Elliott stands seventh in the playoff standings, 11 points above the cut-off line to advance into the Round of 8. Despite that, the #9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver feels that he is not in a comfortable position going into the second race of the Round of 12 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Last weekend's disappointing result pushed down the 2022 regular season champion in the standings. He entered as leading the playoff standings but a tire issue caused Elliott to lose control midway through the race and finish in 32nd place.
Speaking to the media about racing at the iconic Talladega Superspeedway, Chase Elliott stated that no one is safe in the playoff races to get eliminated from the title hunt. He went on to say that he knows what he needs to do in the next two races to keep himself alive for the next round, as the #9 driver has been in similar situations before.
Elliott said:
“It’s obviously not an ideal situation to be where we’re at in the points heading into Talladega (Superspeedway), but it is what it is. I’ve said for years that no one is safe in these playoffs. We’ve been in similar situations in the past, so we know what we need to do these next two weeks to put ourselves in a good position to advance. I know we’re fully capable of getting the job done. We’ve proven it time and time again.”
Chase Elliott will return to the track this weekend, where he has a good track record. He has made 13 appearances in the Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway, securing a win in 2019, four top-five and six top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 15.23. The 26-year-old will look to perform well in the next two weeks to confirm his spot for the Round of 8.
Chase Elliott’s crew chief talks about their plans for Talladega race
Chase Elliott’s crew chief at the #9 team at Hendrick Motorsports, Alan Gustafson, revealed their plans for the 2022 YellaWood 500. He said that the team will look to earn maximum stage points, minimize their mistakes, and make sure to stay in the race till the end.
Gustafson said:
“For us, it’s about getting maximum points this weekend, minimizing our mistakes, and making sure we survive until the end. If we do that, we’ll have just as good a shot as anyone to get the win and lock ourselves into the next round.”
Catch Chase Elliott at Talladega Superspeedway for YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 2, 2022, at 2:00 pm ET.
