Hendrick Motorsports drivers Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman had a tough time during the qualifying session for the first playoff race of the season, the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. The duo qualified behind Trackhouse Racing rookie driver Shane van Gisbergen, and fans shared their views.Van Gisbergen never competed on oval tracks before 2024. The former Supercars champion struggled on them, but he overcame the challenges by actively participating in racing events held on oval tracks. As a result, his hard work paid off, and he qualified among the top 20 drivers for the first playoff race with a best time of 29.223 seconds and a top speed of 168.278 mph.Shane van Gisbergen will begin the 367-lap race from 20th place. Meanwhile, the #9 Chevy Camaro ZL1 driver, Chase Elliott, qualified in P21 with a best lap time of 29.266 seconds and a top speed of 168.261 mph. On the other hand, his HMS teammate, Alex Bowman, qualified in P29 with a best time of 29.269 seconds and a top speed of 168.014 mph.Both playoff-qualified and experienced drivers qualified behind the Rookie of the Year, and reflecting on the same, a fan stated:"Qualifying at Darlington is irrelevant. Set up balance/speed and tire management is what matters. Elliott Bowman or SVG wold need 12 of the playoff cars wreck in order to have any chance of winning"A fan expressed his thoughts on the same scenario (Source: @MarkHan15356787 via X)Meanwhile, a NASCAR enthusiast questioned:"Do you think the HMS dominance is at stake?"Another fan raises qa question about HMS legacy (Source: @ShivaliNathta via X)Here are other reactions to the same situation:"Funny enough that might be his best qualifying spot on an oval in the cup series," an X user stated.Bangal Scringle @SpitefulManToadLINK@jeff_gluck Funny enough that might be his best qualifying spot on an oval in the cup series"Good for him. He is getting better on the ovals," a NASCAR fan said.VAQ139mike @mike68134553LINK@jeff_gluck Good for him. He is getting better on the ovals."Surely you did not expect anything more right? The last month and a half has been trash for the 9 team. That's what happens when you race playoff style at the beginning of the season, and use up all your skill and luck," while another user called out Chase Elliott's team.James Millspaugh @JamesMillspaug7LINK@jeff_gluck Surely you did not expect anything more right? The last month and a half has been trash for the 9 team. That's what happens when you race playoff style at the beginning of the season, and use up all your skill and luck."Finally starting to pay more attention to the 9 team, eh? This is standard operating procedures for them lol Only slightly worse than their average starting position," a motorsports enthusiast commented.Kory @CarolinaKoryLINK@jeff_gluck Finally starting to pay more attention to the 9 team, eh? This is standard operating procedures for them lol Only slightly worse than their average starting position.The Cook Out Southern 500 will mark the beginning of the 2025 playoff season and is scheduled for Sunday, August 31, at Darlington Raceway. USA, MRN, HBO Max, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 will broadcast the 376-lap race live at 6:00 p.m. ET."I'm doing my part": Chase Elliott opened up about his winless drought before his maiden win in the 2025 Cup Series seasonEarlier this season, former NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott was featured on the Dale Jr. Download podcast on YouTube. During the interview with the former star driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Elliott opened up about his winless drought and pointed out what mattered to him during his no-win stretch.The #9 Chevy driver had a good start by winning the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. However, it was a non-points-paying race, and his winless drought stretched till the second race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Recalling the tough phase, Chase Elliott told Dale Jr. [00:05 via Dirty Mo Media on X]:"Man, we've just been doing this long enough to know, like, it all kind of starts and ends with us. We have to make sure we're doing our part, and I'm doing my part and just bringing everything I can possibly bring every single week. It's the honest conversations that we have on Monday mornings that are either going to make us better or make us fail. All of the pieces of the puzzle are there. We're working on the right things. I think I'm asking for the right things out of the car. I'm really proud of our team for just sticking together." Chase Elliott currently ranks seventh in the Cup Series points table with 2013 points to his credit. Additionally, he secured one win, 13 top-10 finishes, and seven top-five finishes in 26 starts this season.