'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Chase Elliott's upcoming race at Kansas Speedway is not off to the best start. The former Cup Series champion will start at the back of the field for the 267-lap event. However, NASCAR fans on X reacted to his qualifying results, with most of them claiming that it is the finish that matters the most.
Chase Elliott drives the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports, a four-car team that operates full-time in the Cup Series. He was voted the Most Popular Driver for four years straight from 2018 to 2021. Elliott became the first rookie driver to win a national-level championship by winning the 2014 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. In 2020, he won his first and only Cup Series championship.
Despite recording the 15th fastest lap at practice, the Dawsonville native had to commit to the pit road during the latter half of the 20-minute session. As per NASCAR, there was a mechanical issue in his car. Elliott will start last, i.e., 38th, in Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400.
Trending
Reporting the same, NASCAR on NBC posted:
"Chase Elliott will start near the rear of the field for Sunday's #NASCARPlayoffs race at Kansas."
Several fans reacted to NBC's post with one saying:
"Bro is cooked."
"That’s ok. Better to have the issue today than tmrw. Long race. Im sure he will find his way to the front," said another.
Here are a few other reactions to Elliott's qualifying result:
"Cannot control mechanical issues, not the driver's responsibility," a fan wrote.
"It’s never how you start!!!!," added another one.
Chase Elliott has previously won at Kansas. Besides his victory in 2018, the Chevy star has eight top-5s and three top-10s in 17 starts. Since 2016, he has led a combined 249 laps at the 1.5-mile, tri-oval intermediate speedway located in Kansas City.
"Such a bummer"- Chase Elliott reacts to his disappointing qualifying session
Chase Elliott was the only Hendrick Motorsports driver to not qualify inside the top 12. His qualifying attempt was at 166.950 mph, which was the slowest in the 38-car field. Elliott's teammates, Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Alex Bowman qualified 115h, 6th and 12th, respectively.
"We went through all the things that you can check on pit road," Elliott said in a post-qualifying interview (via NASCAR). "Obviously, when you have an engine issue like that, it can be difficult to identify what exactly is broke."
"For me, I came off Turn 2 and basically just felt like it went down a cylinder, audible change, and lost a lot of power, so I knew something was wrong and came in as quick as I could, just to try to keep from messing it up any worse. But such a bummer. What a terrible time to have something go wrong," he added.
Chase Elliott qualified for the postseason with a win at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Fans can watch Elliott in action next on Sunday from 3 PM ET onwards on NBC and USA. Radio updates will be available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
