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Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott was disappointed with his mistake during the closing laps of the Daytona 500.
The Great American Race saw Chase Elliott kicking off his race from the P5 spot on the grid and registering Stage 1 victory under his name. However, the 28-year-old saw his position plunging as the race neared its conclusion.
The HMS driver's 500-mile run at the Daytona International Speedway ended with a P14 finish, while his teammate William Byron took his car to the victory lane.
Post his NASCAR Cup Series stint, motorsports journalist Kelly Price interviewed Chase Elliott, wherein he expressed his annoyance over his failure to be a better lane judge. Price shared the HMS driver's words on her X (formerly Twitter) account:
"I made a mistake. I saw Kyle [Busch] who was coming really hard on top, and I tried to pick his lane up, and he gave me a big shove. I thought I could sneak back to the middle, and the #20 [Christopher Bell] was wanting to be there too."
The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion added:
"I'm not sure I would've got to the front row, but certainly would've been a better finish than where we ended up. So hate that, but had a solid day otherwise, happy for William [Byron]."
Chase Elliott's teammate brings in a chaotic and historic win for Hendrick Motorsports
Until William Byron secured the Daytona 500 title, HMS witnessed a drought in their Great American Race fortune as the team couldn't collect a single victory for almost a decade.
The #24 Chevrolet driver started his run at P18 and climbed his way to secure the victory. During the final laps, Byron fought for contention with Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric. However, the moment the white flag was signaled, Cindric wrecked into Chastain, spinning both the drivers out and clearing the 2.5-mile asphalt.
It meant that the final lap got yellow-flagged, and per the NASCAR rule book, the leader, William Byron, would hold his position until the end of the race. Post his race, the HMS prodigy manifested his feelings, saying (via ESPN):
"I'm just a kid from racing on computers and winning the Daytona 500, I can't believe it."
The Daytona 500 winner expressed his desire to see his dad witness his win live:
"I wish my dad was here. He's sick, but this is for him, man. We've been through so much, and we sat up in the grandstands together and watched the race."
