With about 30 laps to go in the NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA, Chase Elliott was issued a pass-through penalty for cutting the course. The esses are the only part of the course that has track limits enforced, Elliott blew through Turn 3.
Now, Chase Elliott didn’t do it on purpose. The Hendrick driver got loose, had to correct, and missed his line. Alan Gustafson wanted to appeal the penalty since it was incidental. However, NASCAR enforced the penalty.
Elliott dropped to outside of the top-15 by the time he served his penalty. From 5th to 16th.
His team tried to argue their case, but they were denied.
Chase Elliott used to be a road course ace. He has won seven road course races. Despite not winning a race on a road course since 2021, Elliott still leads all active drivers in wins on those tracks.
Even though he was running well in this race, he got loose at the wrong time. Track limits are there and that’s just how it goes sometimes. Bad luck strikes at the worst time. Elliott joins his teammate Kyle Larson among the drivers catching a bad break today.
However, his other teammates are battling for the win.
Chase Elliott struggling in 2024
This season has just not gone the way that Chase Elliott hoped it would early. Since his injury last year, breaking his leg while snowboarding, Elliott has struggled to finish races. He relied on pit strategy and cautions to help him gain track position in a few races last season.
Last week at Bristol was Elliott’s first top-10 finish of the season. He has not been in contention to win a race in a long time. His average finish this season is 13.6. Today might end up being another “What if?” kind of race for the No. 9 team.
Even if Chase Elliott didn’t have speed to win, finishing in the top-5 would have been nice. He used to be the best road course racer in the Cup Series. Now, in the Next Gen era, things have changed. Drivers have improved, and the cars are as close as they have ever been.
All you can really do is move on and try again. Elliott is talented, he’s won races in the Next Gen car. He just has to get a complete day under him and build confidence in himself and his team. “Mediocre” would be the perfect descriptor for the season the No. 9 team has had.
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