“Not everybody is perfect” - Chase Elliott ‘not proud’ of a wayward 2023 NASCAR season so far

Midway through the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, Chase Elliott has endured tough times. Elliott's season has been scarred by the penalty he received for wrecking Denny Hamlin in the Coca-Cola 600.

Two races into the season, Elliott injured himself in a snowboarding accident and was sidelined for six weeks. The unlucky incident meant the #9 Hendrick Motorsports driver missed six races, before making his return in Martinsville.

After serving his penalty, he missed seven out of the 15 races before the Sonoma weekend. Speaking to Bob Pockrass from Fox Sports, the 2020 Cup Series champion admitted that the season hasn't been perfect.

"Life happens, right? Not everybody is perfect and mistakes are going to be made. You’re going to have tough times. That's just part of it. I can't change the things that have happened. Certainly wouldn't want to miss the amount of races that happened this year. I missed about half of them."

Chase Elliott accepted his mistakes on the track and blamed himself for not doing his part of the job, and is not proud of his efforts. The #9 Hendrick Motorsports driver added:

"I don't want that, that's not me doing my end of my job right?.. That's being here at the race track and doing my part for our partners and my team and my fans and all the people that make this go. I don't love it. I’m not proud of it by any means. We're in the position we're in and I can't change the past."

Elliott is now focused on the upcoming races, as he wants to book his qualifying berth with a race win.

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Exploring Chase Elliott's chances of qualifying for the playoffs

Chase Elliott in the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota / Save Mart 350

NASCAR granted a playoff waiver to Chase Elliott following his suspension, thus making him eligible for the playoffs. Elliott currently occupies the 27th place in the drivers' standings, with 11 races left in the regular season. He has not won a race and has a single-stage win and two top-five finishes in the eight starts he has made.

Midway through the season, 10 different drivers have won a race and qualified for the playoffs. Elliott, without a win, is 98 points adrift of Daniel Suarez who is in 16th place.

The #9 Hendrick Motorsports driver is most likely to win a race given how dominant his team has been until now. Even if he doesn't manage to win a race, he has 11 races to move up the drivers' standings and qualify on the basis of points.

However, Elliott is in desperate need to win a race and change the narrative of his 2023 campaign.