CONCORD, N.C. - Chase Elliott was in a familiar spot in 2019, in the front row at a road course with 45 laps to go. But at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, it generally does.
In 2018, NASCAR was looking for more variety in playoff track selection and the team at Charlotte Motor Speedway delivered. A 17-turn, 2.28-mile hybrid road course known as “The ROVAL” was designed from its existing infield configuration, adding a unique element to an already intense season-ending format.
It was also good news for Elliott, who was about to go on an impressive run of road course mastery, grabbing four straight wins, including three in his 2020 Cup Series championship season. Having already shown his prowess by winning at Watkins Glen in 2018, it was becoming apparent that Elliott was evolving into a road-racing ace.
But first, he and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet had to figure out how to win on the Charlotte ROVAL. Which was about to become significantly more difficult with 45 laps remaining.
From outside of the front row, Elliott was poised to take the lead in a race he was largely in control. Streaking past the start-finish line with a sizable jump on the field, the No. 9 Chevrolet was looking to once again be out front entering turn one. Then smoke started rolling up from behind his race car.
He had overcooked the corner and ended up going straight into the tire barrier. The words "I can't believe I just did that", rang out over the team's radio.
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“At the time I thought we were done for sure,” Elliott said in the post-race press conference. “You know, I could see they were showing it up on the big screen. I was like, well, the hood is not that bad. I thought the splitter was knocked up, and I felt like if that was going to be the case, then we were probably done from there. Obviously, just a really, stupid mistake.”
Crew chief Alan Gustafson recalled what he and the team encountered when the Dawsonville, Ga., driver arrived at their pit stall.
“It seemed like it pushed the hood down more than anything, pushed the hood inside of the top of the fenders and back into the windshield,” he said. “The biggest thing we really had to do (was) get that back sealed up and get it down. As long as the splitter was intact and in good condition, no tire rubs, we were going to be in decent shape.”
"At the time I thought we were done for sure."
Chase Elliott
The crew frantically worked on the car, quickly got it back in order and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet would restart in the 31st spot. While not ideal, they still had a chance to salvage the day. As the late great Jerry Reed might have said, “They had a long way to go and a short time to get there.”
Back on track, Gustafson and crew had done their job as Elliott re-established the speed he had earlier in the race. And quickly, he used it to his advantage, passing car after car exiting turn eight and coming out of the chicane on the backstretch. His confidence in the race car allowed him to take a few more risks along the way.
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“I think here (Charlotte ROVAL), a braking zone would be a great place to pass,” Elliott said. “The problem with here is if you blow the backstretch, you could potentially have ruined your day.
“Other places, Watkins Glen, you out‑brake somebody into turn one. If you blow (the corner), you just run wide,” Elliott continued. “So, I think you have to think about that, and I think that was probably a big reason why guys weren’t champing at the bit to pull out of line down the back because we didn’t know if we were going to make it ourselves a lot of time, much less two people.”
With six laps to go, Elliott caught and passed leader, Kevin Harvick, and cruised on to victory after that. Even with a bit of damage, the No. 9 was clearly the fastest car on property. Adding to the big day for Hendrick Motorsports, teammate Alex Bowman brought the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet home in second.
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However, Elliott wasn’t done. In a spectacle only matched by his late-race comeback, he edged his way up to the same tire barrier that unceremoniously caught his car earlier in the day and authored a dramatic burnout session.
"I was coming back on the frontstretch (for a celebration), I saw that dang thing (turn one tire barrier) and I was like, I can't pass up the opportunity to go and redeem myself a little bit,” a smiling Elliott said post-race.
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“I was really proud of that one,” Elliott added. “I was pretty fired up. It should've never been special in the first place but since I went out of my way to make it special, I felt like I had to go back and see it one more time."
Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts crew join his teammates this weekend to once again challenge the Charlotte ROVAL. With his spot already secured in NASCAR's Round of 8 playoff, he looks to add to his seven NASCAR Cup Series road course victories.
The Cup Series veteran currently sits third on the all-time list for Cup Series road course victories, tied with Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman, Jeff Gordon, and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Tony Stewart.