Chase Elliott’s crew chief turns the page after breakthrough win, eyes a bold mission after recent surge: “You're only as good as your last race”

Chase Elliott's crew chief, Alan Gustafson, reflected on the breakthrough win and stated that they have their eyes set on the upcoming race at Chicago. In his recent interview, Gustafson also claimed that the #9 team is focusing on the regular season championship this year.

Elliott claimed the victory at the recently concluded Echopark Speedway Cup Series race at Atlanta, Georgia. The Hendrick Motorsports driver started the race from 15th, but took the checkered flag ahead of Brad Keselowski and Alex Bowman. With his first victory of the season, Elliott qualified for the NASCAR playoffs and is set to fight for the title.

Thanks to his win, he also qualified for Round 2 of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge. He beat Richard Childress Racing's Austin Dillon and will face Legacy Motor Club's John Hunter Nemechek next. With Elliott's journey set for at least the Round of 16, his crew chief is reluctant to relax, as he sets the goal for the driver.

"You're only as good as your last race, Gustafson said in the recent SiriusXM NASCAR Radio interview with Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone. "We're going to Chicago to compete. Going to be right back at it. We want to win more than one race to get bonus points for the playoffs and be in Phoenix for the championship. I'm focused on Chicago."

After his win, Chase Elliott also jumped to second place in the drivers' championship. He currently stands 37 points adrift of William Byron, the championship leader, after 18 races. Since the lead is in the vicinity, Alan Gustafson wants Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports to focus on the regular season championship.

"For sure," Gustafson said if he wants to hunt for the regular season title with Elliott. "It's a big points payoff. We're second now, thirty-something back of William. We'll focus on winning and gaining points."

Elliott's teammate, Kyle Larson, and Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell are, however, very close to him in the Drivers' Championship. The #9 driver needs to perform consistently from here on if he wants to seal the regular championship title before the playoffs begin.

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Chase Elliott shed light on teammate Alex Bowman's help at Atlanta

Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, and Brad Keselowski, during the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart at Echo Park Speedway - Source: Getty

Chase Elliott shed light on his teammate Alex Bowman's help at the Echopark Speedway in Atlanta, which helped him win. Speaking about how Bowman had been helpful to him, Elliott said in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio:

“Hats off to him,” Chase Elliott said of Bowman. “He did a great job giving me good shoves. And then, you know, he took a run on Brad, you know, there on that last lap that kind of dismantled his final push, you know, coming to the flag.”

Alex Bowman started the race in ninth place and finished third, just behind Elliott and Keselowski. As both Keselowski and Bowman were fighting for the win against Elliott, it was the #48 driver's shove that put him ahead of Keselowski in the closing laps.