Everyone was a little surprised when Chase Elliott won at Texas Motor Speedway last month. And no, it wasn’t because he ended his long streak. The victory certainly wasn’t easy considering how treacherous the mile-long racing surface is. During the race, however, the biggest difference many of us noticed was the HMS star’s ruthlessness towards his opponents.
It was a tactic used by the No. 9 team driver to fend off a late charge from Denny Hamlin. All this excited because he was aggressive with his racing style. This is not the case that he did not yet have this assault, but that there have been certain moments when he triggered it. Elliott himself discussed it in an interview with Kevin Harvick in the last episode of the Podcast “Happy Hour”.
Nothing new about Chase Elliott’s combative racing in his Texas win
Interestingly, Elliott has resorted to similar tactics in his previous attempts. Just because his team didn’t get the result or finish he wanted doesn’t mean his antics became public. In his statement, he also explained how he had to be selective in cases where he resorted to such tactics. And how it can make or break a driver’s day, especially in a place like Texas. After leading the peloton during the race and having the opportunity to defend his lead, he decided to give it his all. And he knew the risk-reward factor involved in fending off Hamlin’s attack. “I just think there’s been aggression before, maybe just on days when we just didn’t go well, or maybe you notice it. Of course, I’m sitting firsthand and seeing things that might not be seen on TV or if you’re not sitting a few rows in front.”
He also added that tied races with the Next Gen car only force drivers to compete at the limit, where aggression results in favorable results or catastrophe at the end of the race. “Nowadays, with the way this thing runs, you almost have to live on that side of the fence more often or it gets completely abused. So a little bit of each of those things, but nowadays you have to be willing to take a little bit more risk if you want to be at the front.”One of the highlights of the remarkable comeback was how the No. HMS 9 persevered against all odds. More importantly, they continued to support each other to overcome the difficult times, hoping to turn the tide in their favor.
Elliott and his team stood the test of time
Driver-crew chief relationships are vital for the race team to thrive and succeed in a competitive sport like NASCAR. However, given the winless run, there were bound to be questions or speculations of friction inside the team. But in the case of Elliott and his crew chief Alan Gustafson, they didn’t allow the pressure of the press and media to deviate them from their goals. Rather they came out strong as a team unit with consistent runs and finally a win at Texas.
We have seen many teams like RCR change their pit crew members and chiefs in desperate attempts to get the desired results. However, Elliott trusted in the abilities of Gustafson and decided to work things out in the face of adversities. Explaining his equation with his crew chief, he added, “He’s not a guy that makes a lot of noise in media or on the internet. And, that’s one thing I love about him. He’s just head down and focused, doing his job… He knows that when I shut that media center door and come into his office, we’re going to work on things that are going to make us faster ultimately.”
Last weekend, Elliott once again maintained his consistent run of performances this season and registered his fourth top 5 finish. Therefore, going into the Kansas race, the driver is once again expected to follow suit and also contest for the win.
