Exploring how Chase Elliott scored the most points in NASCAR’s Cup series race at Talladega

Chase Elliott needed a strong points day since there is still a remote possibility that he may make the playoffs on points after six missed starts placed him in a position where he will likely need to win.

If there are more than 16 regular-season champions, he will still need to be in a strong enough position in the standings to advance to the playoffs even with a victory.

Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports led the field in points at Talladega Superspeedway in just his second NASCAR Cup Series race after fracturing his left tibia in a skiing accident in Colorado. In the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, Chase Elliott collected more points than any other driver.

Despite finishing the 196-lap GEICO 500 at the four-turn, 2.66-mile or 4.281 km long, high-banked Lincoln, Alabama circuit in 12th place, the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet managed to accumulate the most points.

Elliott earned 19 points for winning the first stage and placing second in the second. He earned an additional 25 for taking 12th place, giving him a total race score of 44. Kyle Busch, the victor of the race, was the only other driver to reach 40 points despite not earning any stage points.

According to the modern-day NASCAR points system, Coca-Cola 600 is a 600-mile race, therefore the top 10 drivers in each of the first two stages (three at Charlotte Motor Speedway) get points starting at 10.

A driver who finishes in 16th place (21 points) can theoretically score more total points (41) than the race winner. A driver who finishes in 17th place (20 points) can theoretically finish a race tied for the most points scored. Stage racing is structured so that race winners are awarded 40 points.

It is also theoretically feasible for a race winner to come in at position 10 in terms of the overall event points collected. Elliott is 120 points behind the cut line in 31st position in the points standings with 16 races left in the regular season.

With four months left in the regular season, a 120-point margin is by no means insurmountable, but winning, perhaps more than once, is his best chance of making it to the post-season for the eighth straight year.

---

Chase Elliott promises to keep snowboarding despite his accident

Even after an accident in Colorado left the most popular driver in NASCAR with a fractured leg, Chase Elliott has no plans to quit snowboarding or engage in any of the other hobbies he likes.

Elliott said:

"There's a lot that goes into racing and I think you have to have that way to escape and give your mind a rest."

However, he insisted that he would keep engaging in off-limits activities and that snowboarding was an essential part of his physical conditioning routine.