“Chase Elliott is the best road racer in Cup Series” - Michael McDowell explains his reply on Denny Hamlin’s podcast video

The playoff battle intensified at Indianapolis Road Course as Michael McDowell held off Chase Elliott to win the Verizon 200 on Sunday to book his playoff ticket. With his win, the Frontrow Motorsports driver put an end to the debate Denny Hamlin had started.

Earlier in August, Hamlin had predicted Elliott to beat McDowell to the final playoff spot as he believed the #9 Chevy driver was better at road courses. McDowell didn't agree as he believed he was better than the #9 driver in the next-gen car. He added that he could back his argument with stats from the next-gen era.

Two weeks later, the Brickyard provided the perfect battleground for the two road course gladiators to prove their prowess. It was Michael McDowell who won the race, but he still had the utmost respect for his competitor, calling Elliott the best road racer.

"Chase Elliott is the best road racer in the Cup Series. We know that right now. He has the most wins, so you can't statistically say that he's not the best. He is the best." he said in the post-race media conference.

Speaking about his argument with Denny Hamlin he added:

"It was not a dig at Chase. All I was doing was looking at the stats. He's not going to gain 40 points on us on the road courses. Now, he could win. I would have agreed with him on that. He could win for sure, which obviously he was close today."

Despite Chase Elliott's reputation on road courses, McDowell was confident that he could keep the buffer on Elliott to advance into the playoffs. The Frontrow Motorsports driver was aiming for a top-5 finish to accomplish his goals but ended up overachieving.

"So that's all I was saying, but you know how it happens. It's not how it comes off," he concluded

Elliott is yet to win a road race in the next-gen car but has been the most consistent front-runner of them all. The battle between the two resumes again this weekend as NASCAR heads to Watkins Glen for the penultimate round before the playoffs.

---

Chase Elliott praises "mistake-free" McDowell while his playoffs chances tumble

The Verizon 200 race was a three-way battle between bubble drivers - Daniel Suarez, Michael McDowell, and Chase Elliott. All three were desperate for a win but it was the #34 Frontrow Motorsports driver who executed a clean race to enter the playoffs.

NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard

Chase Elliott was happy with his car but reckons he lost time in the pit cycle and while lapping the traffic.

“Just needed just a little bit more and came up a bit short. But congrats to Michael, man. He did a good job. Ran a great race and stayed mistake-free, and that’s what you’ve got to do to win.” he was quoted as saying by motorsport.com.

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion heads to Watkins Glen this weekend, hoping to turn around his season with a much-needed victory.