Chase Elliott weighs in on Denny Hamlin's 'race-wins-first' mentality over championship

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott has weighed on Denny Hamlin's recent comments about his mentality of going for race wins over a championship in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Hamlin is one of the elite drivers to have not won a championship at the premier level, having racked up 54 Cup wins. However, he has openly mentioned that he would prefer a career with 60 wins and no championship over one with 20 wins and a title.

"I care about wins and winning every single week because in the end I absolutely would take 60-some wins and no championship over 20 and one. It’s just not even close," he said in a press conference at Dover Motor Speedway.

Chase Elliott, who has a Cup championship and 19 wins under his belt, was asked for his opinion on Denny Hamlin's comments. The #9 Hendrick Motorsports driver suggested that a driver's perspective is influenced by their age and the current stage of their career.

Elliott mentioned that having a lot of wins reflected the consistency with which the driver and team have operated over a long period. He said in the press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway:

"I think having a lot of wins means that you’ve had a lot of good days spread out through a long period of time. So I just think that general satisfaction that you get from a race win or a day going your way – if those wins are in large quantities like that, I think ultimately that means that you’ve had a lot of good days leaving the racetrack and a lot of satisfaction." he said [at 7:15]

Denny Hamlin has been an annual championship contender but has fallen short of winning the title every year. The 43-year-old driver has three wins this season and has established himself as the early-season championship favorite.

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Chase Elliott hoping for a "clean race" at Charlotte Motor Speedway

The #9 Hendrick Motorsports driver had an eventful outing during last year's Coca-Cola 600, as he was involved in an incident with Denny Hamlin. Elliott received a one-race suspension for wrecking Hamlin during the 600-mile race.

One year since the incident, Chase Elliott has overturned his fortunes and is on a different trajectory this season. Heading into this weekend's Coca-Cola 600, he is anticipating a clean race and hopes to make it to the end.

"It is such a long race and a lot can happen in 600 miles. I've been a part of some (600s) where they're really wild and crazy, and I've been a part of a couple where we've ran the whole thing almost green. I would just like to have a good, clean race and log a lot of laps and make it to the end." he was quoted by SpeedwayDigest.com.

Chase Elliott is also gearing up for his milestone 300th NASCAR Cup Series appearance this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.