Chase Elliott is calling for NASCAR to revisit the final points tally after the Talladega race, raising concerns over fairness in the application of the Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP). Speaking to veteran NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass, Elliott emphasized that while he managed to meet the DVP’s minimum speed, some drivers who finished ahead of him did not, and he believes this discrepancy should be addressed.
Piloting the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott finished 29th in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, five laps behind after being caught in a massive 28-car wreck on lap 184. Despite the setback, Elliott’s team managed to repair his vehicle in time to meet the DVP’s speed requirements, something not all drivers involved in the crash achieved, according to Elliott.
In a post-race interview, Elliott questioned how NASCAR handled the DVP, specifically how some cars that didn’t meet the minimum speed were allowed to continue, impacting the race’s final points. “I’m curious to see how they police the DVP because not all the cars that got fixed met the minimum speed. I think it’s really important to get the scoring right because our team did a great job fixing the car, and we met the required speed. If the race hadn’t ended under green-white-checkered conditions, those other cars would’ve been parked, and we would’ve gained positions,” Elliott explained.
Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion, believes the final scoring should be reconsidered and hopes NASCAR will make adjustments. According to current rules, cars that fail to meet minimum speed over three laps are parked. However, the race concluded under green-white-checkered conditions, allowing two cars ahead of Elliott, which hadn’t met the speed requirement, to avoid being parked.
Elliott earned 17 points at Talladega but fell from 7th to 8th in the playoff standings, now just 13 points above the cutline. With drivers like Joey Logano in 9th and close to elimination, Elliott is fighting to secure his place in the next round. The upcoming race at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course will determine if Elliott can hold his position or be knocked out by contenders like Logano, Daniel Suarez, and Chase Briscoe.
