"Just disappointing that we’ve put ourselves here" - Chase Elliott calls out NASCAR for wasting 'time and opportunity' to make cars safer

Hendrick Motorsports driver and 2022 NASCAR Cup Series championship contender Chase Elliott recently broke his silence on the topic of the seventh generation of Cup cars and the issues surrounding their safety concerning the driver. Dubbed the 'Next Gen', the seventh generation saw their debut into the sport in the 2022 season, with a major overhaul of the formula behind making a stock car.

The new car, with its standardized components and symmetrical bodies, aims to improve the racing on the track. While the car has certainly delivered in some aspects, driver safety has been a major concern with the same.

Over more than 30 races this season, the two drivers have been ruled out of contention due to concussions suffered from crashes on the track. Kurt Busch has been on a sabbatical for ten races, while Alex Bowman missed his playoffs Round of 12 appearance at Talladega.

Bowman's teammate Chase Elliott was one of the most recent drivers to speak on the topic and said:

"You come off a week like we had in Texas and somebody getting injured and then you come into here, where odds are we're probably all going to hit something at some point (Sunday) and probably not lightly at that."

The 26-year-old also elaborated on how he thinks NASCAR as an industry has put itself in a 'box', and said:

"My frustration is, I just hate that we put ourselves in the box that we're in right now. It's just disappointing that we've put ourselves here and we had a choice. We did this to ourselves as an industry. That should have just never been the case. We should not have put ourselves in the box that we're in right now."

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Chase Elliott's thoughts after crashing out of the NASCAR Cup Series race in Texas

AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway saw playoff contender Chase Elliott end his day prematurely as he was one of the many drivers who faced tire issues on the track. The #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver spoke about what he thought of the tires as others continued racing, and said:

"I just hope nobody gets hurt but outside that I really don't care"

Watch the complete interview below:

Chase Elliott, however, managed to claw back to the top of the playoffs standings with his recent trip to Victory Lane at Talladega Superspeedway yesterday, making him the first driver to seal a spot in the Round of 8.