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Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott drew a contrast between exhibition and point races, describing the similar level of competition in both. Earlier last week, he converted his pole position to victory as he clinched the win at the Cook Out Clash at the Bowman Gray.
The NASCAR Clash is usually the first event of the year before the start of the season. It serves as a warmup race for the drivers and the teams to prepare for the Daytona 500, usually called the season-opener, being the first point-scoring race of the year.
Considering that no points are awarded in the Clash, it can be hard to assess if the teams would have the same form during the point-scoring races as they do in the Clash.
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Chase Elliott drew a positive comparison between the two. When asked by Kevin Harvick on the Happy Hour podcast, the 29-year-old mentioned that although it is an exhibition race, all the teams and drivers put in maximum effort to win. Speaking positively of his form early in the season, he mentioned that the performance observed in the Clash could be the same as the point-scoring races in the season.
"I know it's not a points race, I certainly understand that. I wish it was, for sure. But look, everyone shows up at those exhibition races and they bring their best. So, the field was just as competitive last night as it is going to be in two months," he said (07:45 onwards).
"That's just the reality. The race was just as hard to win yesterday as it's going to be when we are racing for points here in just a few weeks. So, I think there's a lot to be proud of over the weekend," he added.
Chase Elliott expects his form to improve throughout the season
Despite winning the Heat race, starting the Clash from pole position, and leading over 170 laps of the 200-lap event, Chase Elliott feels this wasn't the best form of the #9 Hendrick Motorsports crew.
He shared tough battles with Denny Hamlin, who was attempting to get a headstart into the season with a victory. The 44-year-old also managed to lead a few laps in the race but Elliott eventually emerged victorious.
However, Chase Elliott feels that this wasn't his best form and that the team could deliver better performance as the season progresses.
"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 told SiriusXM in a post-race interview.
Chase Elliott has remained a competitive driver with Hendrick Motorsports. He has raced for the team all his Cup Series career, beginning a part-time stint in 2015. So far, he has managed to bag 19 wins with 171 top-tens.
