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Chase Elliott had his streak of finishing inside the top 20 for all the NASCAR Cup Series races in 2024 snapped on the final lap in the July 7 Chicago race, where he finished 21st. During the July 14 race at Pocono, the 2020 champion had another significant streak ended in the final stage when NASCAR police nabbed him and three other drivers for speeding, including Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, in a section of the track that had produced confusion earlier in the day when the teams made their pit-road runs before the race.
It was the No. 9 pilot’s first speeding penalty in 92 races and his crew chief Alan Gustafson didn’t try to hide what he thought about the sanctioning body’s decision when talking with his driver about the incident over the team radio.
“How much too fast were we?” Elliott asked.
“.16 mile an hour,” Gustafson responded.
“I don’t understand with the rest of the day had been okay,” the driver questioned. “I don’t feel like I was that much different.”
“That zone was way off from the get-go,” his crew chief told him. “It’s been way off. You know, you’re just flying blind on it. It’s been wrong, so just don’t focus on it. Unfortunately, they didn’t admit their own fault there.”
Chase Elliott Didn’t Agree With NASCAR Decision Earlier in Weekend
Interestingly, that wasn’t the first time the No. 9 team had been in disagreement with a NASCAR ruling. During July 13 media availabilities, a reporter asked Chase Elliott his thoughts on the Bubba Wallace penalty from Chicago and if he thought it was warranted.
“I don’t really think he should have been fined,” Elliott said. “I mean, I understand, I get it, but man you’re getting in the weeds with some of that stuff.
“And nobody was hurt and you know it was unfortunate I guess — just the circumstances and Alex having won the race and things of that nature. But I didn’t see it being a huge deal.”
Elliott Best in Cup Series
While Kyle Larson and William Byron have received a bulk of the attention in 2024 for HMS drivers with their three wins each, Elliott has quietly been not only the most consistent driver in the four-car organization but in the entire Cup field with a series-best 10.5 average finishing position.
Elliott is impressively an entire spot better than Tyler Reddick in second place with his AFP of 11.7. Interestingly, the rest of the top 5 is all HMS drivers with William Byron third at 12.8, Alex Bowman at 13.3, and Kyle Larson at 13.6.
Chris Buescher is the first Ford in the group at sixth and he is tied with Martin Truex Jr. at 14. The rest of the top 10 includes: Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski (tied at 14.4) and Ty Gibbs at 14.7. Reigning champion Ryan Blaney, who won his second race of 2024 at Pocono, slots in 11th at 14.9.
That’s what makes Elliott’s average finishing position so impressive. He has fewer wins compared to the multi-win drivers in the series, including his two teammates but he has managed to avoid disastrous finishes and consistently run inside the top 20, which happened again at the Tricky Triangle. He finished ninth.
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