MARTINSVILLE, Va.: Fresh off a fifth-place finish at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway, Chase Elliott heads into Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Knowing that another top-five finish likely won’t be enough, he faces the challenge of securing a Championship 4 spot at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.
What NASCAR’s most popular driver does know, however, is that his second win of the season in Sunday afternoon’s penultimate NASCAR Cup Series event would advance the Hendrick Motorsports driver to the Championship Round, his first appearance since winning the title in 2020.
The Round of 8 has been promising for the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team in terms of speed, but an early race accident at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway last month — where Elliott was collected following an ill-timed move by Tyler Reddick — has put the 19-time Cup winner in a ‘must-win’ position.
Still, Elliott arrived at Martinsville Speedway upbeat about the weekend.
Reflecting on his recent performances, Elliott expressed confidence in his team’s momentum on Saturday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway.
“I just feel good about where we’re at,” he said. “I think we’ve run really well the last two weeks. I thought our team was operating at an extremely high level last weekend across the boards, so it’s great time to be doing that. I think we’re all in a really good place. I’m in a good place with everything. And yeah, just proud of how we’ve been running.
“We’ve been right in the thick of it; right in the mix. When you’re giving yourselves those opportunities, why wouldn’t you be confident in coming to a place that we’ve been able to run well before? Even more so, leaving two places that we have not run well at, historically, and came off with two good weekends. So yeah, I’m really looking forward to it; try to get going and get to work.”
Elliott has experience being in a must-win position. He faced the same circumstances in 2020, and a dramatic win at the 0.526-mile paperclip during the pandemic season vaulted the Hendrick Motorsports pilot to his first of three consecutive Championship 4 appearances.
Since 2020, NASCAR has ushered in a new era with the introduction of the Next Gen 7 car. While Elliott has openly acknowledged the challenges posed by this change, his adaptability and recent speed give him the confidence to aim for his first Championship 4 since 2022.
“I think too much has changed,” said Elliott when asked if he could apply his 2020 experience to Sunday. “But certainly from an experience standpoint and just having been here before; kind of knowing where we’re at and what we have going on, from a mental standpoint, I guess. Just understanding where we’re at; what’s ahead and how to do that.
“So yeah, I feel good about all of those things. Even the year we won, we had been in this position before then, too. So I think having a little experience of that certainly isn’t a bad thing. But I truthfully think it’s more just about how you’re operating right now; what have you done for me lately, kind of situation. Fortunately for us, lately, it’s been good. We just have to keep doing that.”
Earlier this year, Elliott finished third at Martinsville. While Sunday’s race will have an additional 100 laps of competition and offer a softer tire compound, the Dawsonville, Ga. native can ride the confidence of his spring performance. However, he knows that having a good starting position for the Xfinity 500 will be crucial to his opportunity to score his 20th career Cup Series win.
“Having a good qualifying effort is a big deal,” Elliott explained. “We just have to get rolling and see where things are at. It’s still Martinsville, though. There’s going to be some similarities somewhere. What that is exactly, I don’t know.
“But it’s still Martinsville and this place doesn’t really seem to change a whole lot year-to-year, with the concrete corners and such. I have to imagine that there will be a certain part of the weekend that has some historical data that will matter.”
Embracing a ‘win-or-bust’ mentality, Elliott is determined to reignite the spark from his 2020 championship run, hoping to channel the intensity that once propelled him to victory at Martinsville and into the Championship 4.
“This is an extremely important weekend,” reflected Elliott. “When I look back at that year, this win was as big as Phoenix because, without it, you don’t have that shot. It was just a crazy week, you know, honestly. You come in here, and your back is against the wall. It’s not like you won Vegas, right, and you’re all eyes on Phoenix for two or three weeks.
“For us, we’re all eyes on Homestead. And then now, it’s all eyes on Martinsville. I haven’t even thought about Phoenix. It’s just about getting the job done right now. I think as you go through those situations, I really believe and trust in our process. If we’re able to go and get the job done tomorrow, then you go and start your homework tomorrow night. You start preparing and getting ready, and that’s what we did. We didn’t have a choice.
“We were locked-in on Martinsville. We were able to get the job done. And then when the checkered flag flew, we tried to enjoy the moment for a little while, but it was kind of hard to knowing that in seven days, you’re racing for a championship. It was fast.. it was quick. But you know, I think the week gives you enough time to get ready. Fortunately, that year, it did.”
With the fifth-fastest practice lap on Saturday and a qualifying position on the outside pole, Elliott has shown race-winning speed; now, it’s all about seizing the moment.
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