CONCORD, N.C. - Though his win at Kansas Speedway last Sunday locked Chase Elliott into the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 with an event still remaining this week in the Round of 12 at the Charlotte ROVAL, he doesn't see any need to do anything different come race time this weekend.
Sure, his points situation is secure for one week until the remaining eight playoff drivers are reset again before next week's trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Then will follow a three-race sprint with the four survivors heading to Phoenix Raceway for a shot at a championship.
Having navigated all of that en route to a title in 2020, Elliott, crew chief Alan Gustafson and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team know all too well just what it takes to finish the job. And primarily, especially the deeper the playoffs go, it takes victories.
So, yes, freed of any worries on Sunday, Elliott and Gustafson said a win will be on their minds. But sitting down this week for Hendrick Motorsports' "Winner's Seat" interview, both said that approach won't change the rest of the way out.
"I think it’s a great opportunity to race this weekend like we’re going to have to race the next three weeks following that and get our team in a position where that’s the norm," Elliott said. "Because if you want to get to Phoenix, that’s got to be the mindset there anyway. So, you might as well embrace it and enjoy it.”
“It’s a great opportunity to race with … I don’t want to say reckless abandon … but the way you’re going to have to race throughout the Round of 8 and Phoenix and I think we can do that,” Gustafson agreed. “I just really feel like we’ve been in the Round of 8 enough, I would say all of our times succeeding it comes down to winning, really. So, that’s my focus and the way the team’s operating.”
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In fact, win or not, Gustafson and Elliott were both pleased with last weekend in which the team qualified fourth, finished in the top five in both stages and then finished it off with its second win of the year. Now in his 21st season, Gustafson knows that kind of execution is a requirement this deep into the season.
“One of the toughest things is to get everything working at 100 percent capacity at the same time,” Gustafson said. “The pit crew, the cars being in a position where (Elliott) can drive the way he wants to, where he’s in a position to operate at his highest level, where the strategy is clear and executing well – I think we’ve slowly been getting to that point and I feel like it’s peaking at the right time. That gives me a lot of confidence going into those races but I know how good everyone else is too and those guys are all really, really tough. And it’s going to take something special but that’s what’s going to make it worthwhile.”

And victories like Sunday's at Kansas certainly do as well. Elliott charged from 10th to the lead over the course of a double-overtime restart, snatching the lead away for good coming out of turn four on the last lap.
It was a thriller, no doubt. But rather than a superhuman drive, Elliott views the victory as a byproduct of the team keeping itself in position throughout the weekend and the day. As the team looks forward to Sunday and more importantly, the three races beyond, Elliott views that solid and opportunistic approach as vital to success.
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“This is not a sport where you’re going to win every weekend, but you can certainly put yourself in position every weekend,” Elliott said. “That is an attainable goal that teams accomplish regularly and to me, that’s probably the most important one we can go out and achieve. And I’m a huge believer that if you’re doing that, you will get your turn and fortunately, last weekend it was our turn and we’ve got to keep putting ourselves in that type of position to get another turn or two before it’s over with.”
Check back in a little later on Friday evening for the full, 'Winner's Seat' interview or click here for the Hendrick Motorsports YouTube channel.
NASCAR playoff standings
Driver | Points |
---|---|
1. Chase Elliott | ADV (1 win) |
1. Ryan Blaney | ADV (1 win) |
3. Kyle Larson | +54 |
4. Denny Hamlin | +48 |
5. Christopher Bell | +44 |
6. William Byron | +40 |
7. Chase Briscoe | +21 |
8. Joey Logano | +13 |
--------------- | ------ |
9. Ross Chastain | -13 |
10. Bubba Wallace | -26 |
11. Tyler Reddick | -29 |
12. Austin Cindric | -48 |