BROOKLYN, Mich: Chase Elliott’s hopes to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on points took a major blow on Sunday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway after the Hendrick Motorsports driver crashed out early of Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400.
Elliott had hoped to gain enough points in the remaining four regular season races to earn one of the coveted 16-Playoff spots, but an accident on Lap 34 of 200 in Sunday’s race will likely put the Dawsonville, Ga. native in a must-win position over the next three weeks.
After qualifying his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro 10th, Elliott was running seventh until the rear tire blew on Lap 34 in Turn 2 which sent him hard into the wall before coming to rest at the apron of Turn 2.
Elliott was able to gingerly drive his mangled machine back to pit road where he immediately went to the garage and ended his day. Elliott will be credited with a 36th-place finish – his worst finish since finishing 34th at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May.
The 2020 Cup Series champion said he had no warning that the tire was going down.
“I hate that happened. It’s really early in the day to have a tire blow like that, it’s really weird,” Elliott said. “Bummer, but not surprised.”
Elliott was among the teams that elected to remain on the track during the first caution rather than pit for new tires, but he did not believe that contributed to the incident.
“Not at all,” Elliott said when asked if there was any warning. “Obviously, we stayed out (on the first caution) but I didn’t feel like I was being hard on it.
“Yeah, unfortunately not. Just add it to the list.”
Elliott said his Playoff situation never changed from that he believed was the case when he returned from his spring injury and one-race suspension – that he would need to win to secure his eighth championship bid.
“I told y’all that the week I got back,” he said.
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