Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images
For a while during Monday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, it appeared that Chase Elliott would score his first career victory, but when the checkered flag waved, the Hendrick Motorsports rookie settled for fourth.
Elliott, the 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion saw his winning chances disappear following a restart when he was battling teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the race lead. An aggressive move in the tricky Tunnel Turn forced Elliott to burp the gas, which allowed Kurt Busch who was riding third to pass the Hendrick Motorsports duo and never look back.
Despite some concern about running out of fuel towards the end of the race, the No. 24 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet driver saved enough gas to earn his fifth top-five finish of the season.
“Yeah, just definitely really proud of our team and the work that everybody at Hendrick has put in, said Elliott. “I felt like we had really four really fast cars today. I hope that’s a good sign for races to come. We certainly had I feel like one of our best days of the year personally.
“I thought for us to be able to contend and lead laps all day and have a car that could fight for the lead the majority of the day I thought was great. Obviously, I made a big mistake there behind Dale in the tunnel after that restart. I wish I had been a little more patient and given ourselves a better chance, but you live and you learn.”
Even though Elliott, a former ARCA winner at Pocono didn’t seal the deal with a win in his 19th career start, the Dawsonville, Georgia native proved that he is not only capable of winning, but ready to win at NASCAR’s elite level.
Earnhardt and Busch sang his praises as well.
“(He’s) certainly learned a ton, got a real good attitude, really calm, doesn’t get excited about much, and he’s got a really, really good crew chief, a guy that I think really is wrapping his arms around the idea working with Chase and grooming Chase,” said Earnhardt. “The team is doing an amazing job. They were always fast with Jeff (Gordon), and I think the transition couldn’t have been better. Jeff really set that team up for the transition and all that where it’s so smooth. Just a perfect storm situation for Chase, and he’s doing a great job. He’s become a great teammate.”
Busch added,
“Chase Elliott did a phenomenal job. He’s a smart kid.”
Despite being winless, the 20-year-old Elliott is ranked seventh in the championship standings with five top-fives and ten top-tens in 14 races. He is just three points from fifth currently occupied by reigning Sprint Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.