“Not quite close enough”: Chase Elliott reflects on how win-or-go home situation made everyone step up at the ‘right time’ in the 2024 playoffs 

Chase Elliott recently looked back on his 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season and how the No. 9 Chevy team was one spot away from a chance to lift a second major title.

After an underwhelming 2023 season, the Hendrick Motorsports star bounced back this past season by driving through the victory lane and snapping his 42-race winless streak at Texas Motor Speedway. However, it wasn't enough for the 29-year-old Elliott despite reaching the 2024 Round of 8 playoff.

The 2020 Cup Series champion, Elliott, had one of the most consistent performances of the other HMS drivers, but a wreck at the first round of the 8 playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway put the Chevy driver in a win-or-go-home situation for the remaining two races of the round. As per Elliott, this unwanted pressure made the No. 9 team step up at the right time.

"(It was) a little bit of everything, in my opinion. I just think everyone stepped up," Elliott said via Hendrick Motorsports. "I think Alan[Crew Chief] was calling great races, felt like our prep work throughout the week on the car and just our race overlook was at an all-time high. I think I was doing a better job."

The Dawsonville, Georgia, native Elliott admitted he cited his P5 finish in the next race of the Round of 8, followed by a runner-up finish at Martinsville, where a win would have confirmed his spot in the Championship 4 race at Phoenix. Elliott continued:

"It's never one thing. I'm sorry, but it's just not. And there's always so many pieces to the puzzle and fortunately for us, I think they just all got better at a very similar time, and everyone stepped up at the right time and it was close, just not quite close enough."

The passing 2024 season turned out to be a bounce-back season for Chase Elliott after missing out on the playoffs and seven races back in 2023 after a snowboarding mishap.

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"We have a really good direction": Chase Elliott opened up on making it way into the 2024 playoff rounds

NASCAR: 2024 NASCAR Awards Banquet - Source: Imagn

Back in November, Chase Elliott shared his thoughts on having a "direction" following an eventful Cup Series season. The Rick Hendrick driver Elliott finished seventh in the final 2024 NASCAR driver's points standings.

"Nothing is ever perfect, I guess, in my eyes, but I am really proud of where we’ve come from and where we have been, particularly over the last few months of the season, and even more so over the last few weeks," Elliott said via NASCAR.

Furthermore, the 19-times Cup race winner added:

"I just feel like we have a really good direction, I feel like I have a good direction. I’m giving them better feedback in what I want and what I need, and I think all those things are really positive. So, yeah, I don’t know that you ever have it figured out, but I’m certainly, genuinely proud of where we’ve been and where we are right now."

After an improved performance with one win, 11 top-fives, and 19 top-10s, Chase Elliott will look to start strong at the iconic Daytona 500 race on February 16.