Chase Elliott sends message of unfulfilled potential after Clash victory: "I don't think we're at our best yet"

Chase Elliott put on a dominant performance in the pre-season Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, leading much of the race. Despite his strong showing, the Hendrick Motorsports driver reflected on his night at the historic short track, admitting there are still areas where he can improve for the upcoming season.

Driving the #9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott won his heat race, secured pole position, and led nearly 171 of 200 laps. Denny Hamlin briefly took the lead shortly before completing 100 laps, however, the former Cup Series champion quickly regained control. He held off the three-time Daytona 500 winner to claim victory as NASCAR made its return to the historic Madhouse.

In a post-race interview with SiriusXM's NASCAR Channel, Chase Elliott shed light on his shortcomings and outlined that the #9 team has to 'keep pushing ahead.'

"I think he(Hamlin) did a much better job saving his tire. I really didn't know how much to save. I was just kind of trying to weigh what control of the race meant versus having tire left. You know, that's a fine balance, right? And I was trying to, I was kind of leaning more on the side of control on the race," Elliott said

"I know it's not a point to win, but a great way to start the year, no doubt. And I hope we can just keep building. We have a great group. You know, I think we're all making each other better. And I don't think we're at our best yet, which I think is, which is good. And I really believe that. So we just got to keep pushing ahead and 37 weeks to go and try to be a little better," he added.

Chase Elliott reached the 2024 playoffs but was eliminated in the penultimate round at Martinsville Speedway. Despite falling short of the title, he delivered a consistent season, earning 19 top-10s and 11 top-5 finishes across 36 races. Elliott maintained an average finish of 11.7, showcasing strong performances throughout the year.

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Clash winner Chase Elliott admits what he was “afraid” of during his battle against Denny Hamlin

Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin were glued together for the major portion of the Cook Out Clash, going wheel to wheel for the top spot. While Hamlin showed a sliver of hope to win the race after the 100-lap mark, Elliott took back the lead after a restart on lap 123. Following the end of the race, The 29-year-old told FOX Sports' Jamie Little that fellow drivers Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney kept him on edge.

"I know it's not a points race but it is nice to win for sure and just really proud of our team for you know, just continuing to keep our heads down and push. Had a tough race, Ryan (Blaney) kept me on a set at the end you know Denny (Hamlin) was really good there at the second half of that break and I just felt like he was kind of riding and I was afraid to lose control of the race and not be able to get it back," Chase Elliott said

Meanwhile, Elliot's HMS teammates Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Alex Bowman finished the Clash in P17, P18, and P19 respectively.