"I didn't do a great job": Chase Elliott makes his self-critical feelings known amid looming playoff elimination

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott has made his feelings known about the recent Homestead-Miami race, self-critiquing his performance. The #9 Chevy driver entered the 35th race weekend below the playoff elimination line, and his failure to emerge triumphant in the 267-lap race has further slimmed the odds of his Championship 4 advancement.

Elliott began his Straight Talk Wireless 400 race in seventh place, collected a third-place finish in the first stage and second in Stage 2. The Hendrick Motorsports driver settled his NextGen Chevrolet in fifth place, the best among his teammates. However, despite a top-5 finish at the 1.5-mile oval, the playoff scare lingers on Elliott, as he's the last-place driver in the playoffs, with a 43-point deficit.

The Georgian reflected on his run and scrutinized his subpar job, saying (via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

"I had just gotten tighter and tighter as the day went on, I was just trying to manage that, you know, on the front side of a run, and ultimately, I didn't do a great job of managing it. When the pace got quicker and everyone started pushing, I didn't really have anything left to push."

The HMS driver added:

"Really solid, not perfect but really a solid couple of weeks for us, and from a pace perspective, you know that's encouraging as you move along,"

The Homestead-Miami result has virtually put the driver in a must-win situation. If the upcoming Martinsville race ends with insufficient points collected, Chase Elliott would be the second HMS driver after Alex Bowman to exit the playoffs.

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A look into Chase Elliott's playoff performance since the opening race at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Elliott opened his 2024 playoffs on a rather satisfactory note after posting a P8 finish in Atlanta, and keeping himself above the cutline in the Round of 16. The next race at Watkins Glen International witnessed the HMS driver settle for 19th place. However, Elliott advanced to the next round after salvaging a runner-up finish during the Round of 16 finale at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The Round of 8 opened with a ninth-place finish for the #9 Chevy driver at Kansas Speedway. Chase Elliott's poor 29th-place result at Talladega Superspeedway slimmed the advancement odds. Nonetheless, the HMS driver once again revived himself in the elimination race, securing a P5 finish at the Charlotte Roval.

Unlike the previous rounds, Elliott suffered a setback in his opening Round of 8 race hosted by the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Even though Elliott survived Reddick's wreck which sent the latter's #45 Toyota going airborne, suspension issues on Lap 230 destroyed his bid to post a satisfactory finish, marking a DNF.

Moving forward, Chase Elliott collected 49 points from his recent Homestead-Miami race, and his last place in the playoffs is threatening his title fight.