Dale Earnhardt Jr. 'can't argue with' Chase Elliott endorsing for full-season points in NASCAR championship format debate 

Dale Earnhardt jr. and Chase Elliott
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Chase Elliott. Sources: Imagn and Getty

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has seemingly agreed with Chase Elliott's critique of NASCAR's current championship format. The Hendrick Motorsports driver weighed in on the ongoing debate and advocated for the classic points system, in spite of its tendency to produce early title winners and less dramatic season finales.

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The playoffs have become somewhat of a hot topic lately. With NASCAR insiders Danielle Trotta and Larry McReynolds coming in defence of the current format, Mark Martin and the likes of Chase Elliott have pushed back on the narrative.

The latter's argument stems from the fact that the current structure rewards late-season drama and one-off wins, rather than season-long consistency. Elliott has gone a step further and called out naysayers of the old system.

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"The system would be just fine if you just had a full season. And if somebody runs away with it, so what? Let's celebrate the fact that somebody ran away with it, that somebody was just that good. Motorsports does not have to be like everybody else to be successful. And I'll stand by that til I get done," he said in an interview with Jeff Gluck.
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Earnhardt shared the interview and gave his nod of approval.

"I can't argue with this," he wrote.
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If the old system were in place this season, Chase Elliott would be the clear beneficiary, seeing how he leads the field in points. With only a single win to his name, the Georgia native steadily climbed the ranks due to his consistent results among the frontrunners, making him the perfect candidate to represent the original chase.

Meanwhile, Mark Martin has also appreciated Elliott's stance.


Chase Elliott reflects on a near miss at Dover

Chase Elliott led an impressive 238 laps during last weekend's race at Dover Motor Speedway, and was poised to secure his second win of the season. However, a late-race pit stop saw him lose out to Denny Hamlin, who'd decided to stay out. The JGR driver held his lead till the checkered flag, while Elliott had to settle for a sixth place finish.

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Reflecting upon the same, the 29-year-old shared a candid take on the situation.

"When you have all the answers to the test after it's over, it's really easy to sit back and look at what was the right thing to do and what wasn't," he said via X/Jeff Gluck.
"Regardless, it is a tough spot to be in, and it went the way it went. We can't change it, but we can certainly take some lessons from the day and from the weekend and try to apply that forward to put ourselves in positions like that more often," he added.
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Chase Elliott's interview with Jeff Gluck. Source: X/jeff_gluck
Chase Elliott's interview with Jeff Gluck. Source: X/jeff_gluck

Chase Elliott is set to race in the famed Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Notably, the crown jewel event is the last race his father, Bill Elliott, had won.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

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Edited by Mitali
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