Chase Elliott has broken a new personal record in his NASCAR Cup Series career. As the NASCAR season takes a two-week break for the Olympics, Elliott has achieved his longest streak of finishing on the lead lap.
The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series is pausing for two weeks due to NBC’s Olympic coverage, resuming at Richmond on August 9. This break will extend the season finale to November 10. During this season, Elliott has maintained a streak of 17 races finishing on the lead lap, showcasing remarkable consistency and skill. He currently holds the number two spot in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with one win.
Driving the #9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott has finished each of the last 19 NASCAR Cup Series races on the lead lap, surpassing Daniel Suarez’s record by six races. Following Elliott’s 19 lead lap finishes, Daniel Suarez has 17, with Ryan Blaney at 12, Carson Hocevar at 11, Justin Haley at 8, and Chris Buescher at 6. Tyler Reddick, Austin Cindric, Corey LaJoie, and Chase Briscoe each have five. In NASCAR, finishing on the lead lap is crucial because drivers earn points even if they only complete one lap, unlike other racing series where points are awarded only to top finishers or those on the lead lap.
In the 2024 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Elliott faced a penalty for a blend line violation, losing track position despite a strong performance. Both Brad Keselowski and Elliott were penalized for this violation. Elliott expressed his frustration over the radio, questioning the penalty and NASCAR’s explanation of the rule. “None of us knew what the rule was,” Elliott said.
Kevin Harvick commented on Kyle Larson’s controversial restart move at Indy, noting, “He just beat Blaney through the gear.” Meanwhile, Jeff Gluck has excluded Elliott from his 2024 Championship contenders, predicting the final four without him.
Elliott explained his understanding of the rule, stating, “The way I understood the rule was that you couldn’t get your right sides over the far white line because then you would be deemed on the racing surface. That’s what I did.” However, Elliott’s car crossed two white lines and went onto the racing surface, while Kyle Larson, who followed, stayed within the rules. Despite the penalty, Elliott managed to finish 10th.
Elliott’s confusion over rules is not new; he also faced a speeding penalty at Pocono last weekend. Even before the race at Indianapolis, he admitted, “I still don’t know, to be honest with you.”
