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A surprising 2022 NASCAR streak has finally ended. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott won at Talladega Superspeedway and ended a run by non-playoff Cup Series drivers.
The first four playoff races have featured a non-playoff driver celebrating in Victory Lane. Petty GMS Motorsports driver Erik Jones won at Darlington, Bubba Wallace won at Kansas, and then Chris Buescher won at Bristol. Tyler Reddick then kicked off the Round of 12 by winning at Texas.
The final stage of a surprisingly quiet race at Talladega Superspeedway featured Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney running at the front of the pack. He led a total of 31 laps on the day, and he was within two laps of winning. However, Elliott used an aggressive move to jump to the outside lane, and he received some crucial help from Jones.
Elliott won the drag race to the finish line, and he held off both Blaney and Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell. He captured his fifth race of the season, and he became the first playoff driver to win during the 2022 postseason. Now he will head to another track where he has extensive success.
Elliott Ended Another Trend at Talladega Superspeedway
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GettyChase Elliott punched his ticket to the Round of Eight.
The win, which was Elliott’s second at the Alabama track, was important in that it moved him on to the Round of Eight and ensured that he has fewer concerns during the trip to the Charlotte Roval. It also ended a trend that Elliott would like to forget.
The driver of the No. 9 entered the playoffs with the most points after winning the regular-season championship. He promptly crashed in the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway and saw his lead evaporate. Though Elliott recovered with strong runs at Kansas Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway before moving on.
The Round of 12 also began with a DNF. Elliott finished 32nd at Texas Motor Speedway after a crash and a fire. Once again, he saw his points lead disappear as he headed toward a wild-card race in Talladega Superspeedway.
The conversation has now changed. Elliott won a very important playoff race and added even more points to his total. Now he will enter the Round of Eight with more bonus points, which will further increase the likelihood that he will join the championship four for the third consecutive season.
Elliott Will Remain the Favorite Entering a Cutoff Race
GettyChase Elliott can win his sixth race of 2022 at the Charlotte Roval.
With Elliott having a secure spot in the Round of Eight, he will now move on and focus on his pursuit of another trip to Victory Lane. He will do so at the Charlotte Roval, a track where he will be the favorite.
Elliott leads all active Cup Series drivers with seven road course wins. This is third-most all-time behind Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). Two of these wins have taken place at the Charlotte Roval. Elliott went back-to-back during the 2019 and 2020 seasons before finishing 12th in 2022 after a wreck started by Kevin Harvick.
If Elliott can win his second consecutive race, he will make his sixth trip to Victory Lane. This will be a new career-high mark for him considering that his previous best was five wins during his 2020 championship season. Elliott matched this number at Talladega Superspeedway, and he now has an opportunity to surpass it at one of his best tracks.
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