BRISTOL, Tenn. –Of the drivers still fighting for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff spots on points, Chase Elliott is highest in the standings.
But that doesn’t mean the seventh-place points position has the driver of the no. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet feeling secure about his postseason chances.
There are 13 drivers already locked into the playoff on the strength of race wins. And with three races left before the playoff cutoff at Richmond, Elliott knows his grip on a playoff could be precarious—unless he can win one of those three races.
“You’re never comfortable,” Elliott said. “We’re certainly in a tight spot. We’re there towards the back. I don’t exactly know 100 percent where we are, but I know we’re one of the last few spots of non-winners that are still in.
“That’s not a comfortable position to be in, because there is always an opportunity for a guy on the outside to win a race and bump you back another position. So it’s tight, for sure, where we are at.
“We feel like we need a victory to feel good about it. I mean, heck, we’re not many from having a full playoff list of winners. So, yeah, no, we aren’t real comfortable with it, just because in that position, you’re not really guaranteed anything.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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