Chase Elliott: 'I don't know what to do' following another bad finish
Chase Elliott looked like one of the drivers to beat for the better portion of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, but things quickly took a turn for the worst.
After starting 13th, Elliott methodically made his way toward the front early, wrestling the lead from eventual race winner Kevin Harvick on Lap 169. Five laps later, Elliott relinquished the lead for a green-flag pit stop.
Immediately after, Elliott was forced to give up the lead once gain to come back down pit road for a left-rear tire rub. The problem eventually caused him to hit the wall and finish 31st.
Elliott’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson, told him over the radio during the race that he thought he knew what the problem was, but didn’t go into detail.
“I don't know if we got the left rear getting up on the race track, or something and it got into the fender and cut it down,” Elliott said of the issue after the race. “I don't know what to do man, we were trying as hard as we can. We had such a good car today (Sunday) again, and....I don't know what to do. Just keep after it and try to move on."
The rookie is now 25 points behind eighth-place Joey Logano in the Chase standings. Heading into Talladega, it’s not mathematically impossible for Elliott to advance to the Round of 8 on points, but he certainly has his back against the wall in a likely must-win scenario.
"I just will go there, and race our hearts out and try to win I guess,” Elliott said. “That's about all we can do.”
Despite another tough race following a 33rd-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway a week prior, a dejected Elliott still managed to look at the positives.
“We have something to be proud of in the way we have been running,” he added. “There are just some things we can't control. I don't know how to fix that stuff. These guys deserve better on this SunEnergy1/ NAPA team. We are bummed, but what do you do. You just have to move on."
