While Chase Elliott says “we really deserve to be eliminated” of the playoffs after his accident last weekend in Bristol, the former champion notes that this second chance gives him and his team the opportunity to excel, starting with the Sunday race at New Hampshire (2 p.m. on USA Network).
Elliott made his comments on Wednesday on “Sirius Speedway” on the radio Siriusxm Nascar.
Elliott faced the threat of elimination after having crashed during the race last weekend in Bristol when he tried to go from the upper way to the bottom.
“I just felt the urgency of going to the bottom and trying to do what I could save a tire,” said Elliott on Siriusxm Nascar radio. “… It was a high risk, but I felt like a risk that I should try to take at that time in my head. Unfortunately, I did not work.”
Elliott went on the track in front of John Hunter Nemechek and the contact with Nemechek’s car sent Elliott to the wall and out of the race. Elliott finished 38th – his sixth finish in front of the top 10 in the last eight races.
Joe Gibbs Racing dominated the playoffs and his pilots will be among the favorites this weekend.
Elliott was not going to lose enough points to have gone through his teammate Alex Bowman, the first driver below the cup line, but Bowman ran forward and a victory would have given him a place in the next round and possibly eliminate Elliott.
“At that time, I thought our night, I thought our season was over to be honest,” Elliott said on Siriusxm Nascar Radio. “I did not have a good understanding of the place where some of the other competitors under the cut line worked.
“I had a brief conversation with (team leader) Alan (Gustafson) just when I got out of the car. I said to myself, “Dude, will it be knocking us out?” He said, “Yes, I think yes.” At this stage, obviously, we are just disappointed.
“It took a while to realize the situation and what he was going to take to knock us out. I was able to watch him on television with everyone. It was not the most pleasant and a half hour of my life while watching, but it worked, fortunately. I was very lucky with that, without any doubt.”
Ryan Blaney’s 4 -year nephew provided an unexpected speech of encouragement in the last stage of Bristol.
Elliott progressed in the first round despite the result in Bristol and a 17th place in Darlington. He was third in Gateway, providing the cushion he needed to go to the next round.
The New Hampshire was not the best track for Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports. The organization won the New Hampshire for the last time in July 2012. Elliott has only three top-10 in 11 Cup from the 1 mile track in the northeast.
“I just have the impression, yes, you are in a way in a place where ”, guy, we really do not deserve to be here according to the previous week, will we get the most out of it,” he said on Siriusxm Nascar Radio.
“I just have the impression that there is nothing to lose for us at this stage. We have to do something, take a life and lower our heads and cring it for the next three weeks.
“It’s one of these years in general, just trying, some of these days taking what was there. I was really encouraged by our bridge, to be frank, and I thought there were a lot of very good things that went there throughout the event.
“I think the New Hampshire has similarities with Gateway, so I can’t wait to see how we get stuck in this regard.”
