Chase Elliott reflects on unfamiliar playoff absence: “It feels like just another playoff year”

In a year marked by setbacks, Chase Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion, finds himself in an unprecedented position. For the first time in his Cup career, Elliott has missed out on a playoff spot, a bitter pill to swallow for the Hendrick Motorsports driver.

The 2023 season has proven to be a tumultuous one for Elliott. Once accustomed to victory, this year saw him unable to secure a single race win.

Instead, he grappled with a series of misfortunes and injuries, sidelining him for a total of six races. Additionally, a suspension and multiple crashes further hampered his efforts.

As the regular season drew to a close, Elliott found himself on the outside looking in, missing the crucial cutoff for playoff qualification. In the end, it was Bubba Wallace who clinched the final spot.

Reflecting on his current season and missing out on the playoffs in an interview with NBC Sports, Chase Elliott shared his surprising perspective.

Acknowledging the sensation of competing for an owner's title but not contending for the driver's crown, he remarked:

"Nothing really feels any different, which is kind of odd."

He continued:

"I wasn’t really expecting that. I guess I wasn’t really thinking about that as we were leading into the cutoff, but now that we’re here, it feels like just another playoff year really."

Chase Elliott on preparations for the Talladega race

Despite missing out on the playoffs, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has redirected his focus towards the remaining races of the season. Reflecting on the upcoming Cup Series race in Talladega, Elliot said:

"I don’t really think it’s any different. I do think everyone has gotten smarter just with the way we plate race now and manage a race."

The 27-year-old hinted at his crash this past weekend in Texas, a race where Chase Elliott was in prime position to contend for the win, but ended up finishing at 11th.

He acknowledged that though crashes are a part of the sport, but they've become more manageable due to enhanced race management skills.

"I don’t mean smarter as in we’re not going to crash. I still think there’s going to be plenty of that that goes on, and, ultimately, you can just hope that you get through all of that and try to salvage a good points day. If you have a shot to win, try to grab the win. But, ultimately, I think, it’s just trying to survive the day," said Elliott.