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Chase Elliott, the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season champion, will pilot the #9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in his return to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race elimination race. Elliot has had a great season so far, having led the series with four wins and was crowned the regular-season champion for the first time in his Cup career.
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Elliott entered the playoffs at Darlington Raceway with struggles. He had a slow start to the weekend, qualifying 23rd, which culminated in a disappointing P31 finish.
Elliott came into the race leading the playoff standings by 15 points. He earned one point at Darlington, giving him a total of 2,041 points heading into the next playoff race at Kansas Speedway. In Kansas, Elliott managed to secure the 11th position.
The Bristol Motor Speedway race will mark Chase Elliott’s seventh consecutive appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. He is predictably excited to return to Bristol, where he will compete in the elimination race on the track.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver spoke to the media about his approach to the first elimination race. He highlighted that it was not safe for anyone and that everyone should accept the challenges on track or in a must-win situation. He said:
“No one is safe in this grid and this format. You have to be willing to accept a hard challenge or accept a must-win situation. I’ve said that a lot over the last few years. Phoenix (Raceway) is a must-win so you are just preparing yourself to embrace moments like that more and be more comfortable in situations of that magnitude. We’ll see what it brings.”
Chase Elliott's crew chief Alan Gustafson supported his statement that the race at Bristol will be challenging since it is a new car that will race on the track. Owing to the car's uniqueness, he added that the only way to succeed at Bristol is to have a good car with speed.
Chase Elliott’s performance in 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season
This season, Chase Elliott has managed to secure four wins at Dover Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, and Pocono Raceway. He also has ten top-five finishes, 17 top-10 finishes, 719 laps led, and five stage wins through the first 25 races, all of which are series highs.
The 26-year-old driver also had an incredible performance at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he managed to have one win at the track with three top-five and five top-10 finishes. This is not the first time Elliott has entered the playoffs. In addition, six wins of his 17 career wins in the NASCAR Cup Series have come from the playoffs.
On Saturday, September 17, 2022, Chase Elliot will be hoping to take home a victory at Bristol. Currently, he is 7th in the playoff standings, 28 points above the cutline, and ahead of his teammate Kyle Larson by one point.
