WATCH: “Hard to win races when the talent and fuel tanks are empty”- Fans react as Chase Elliott comes to a sudden halt after running out of fuel at Watkins Glen
Chase Elliott has to win at Daytona next Saturday to make it to the playoffs.
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Chase Elliott's No:9 Chevy being pushed back to the pit-box (Credits: @NASCARonNBC/Twitter)
The nightmares of the 2023 season don’t seem to be going away for Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott. On lap 55 of the race, the 2020 Cup Series champion suddenly stopped in the run-off area at the bus stop in Watkins Glen. His car had to be pushed back to the garage, and the incident produced the race’s only caution.
Elliott has to win the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway to secure a playoff berth. If he fails to do so, it would be the first season without a last 16 in eight seasons in the top flight with HMS. It’s not just Elliott that is at risk. His teammate Alex Bowman must also win a race to secure the playoffs, or 2023 will be his first HMS season without playoff entry.
No:9 HMS Chevy Camaro ZL1 crew chief Alan Gustafson’s and co miscalculated the fuel load, costing them the race, which saw them climb to P7 after starting the race at P15. While discussing the gamble, he pointed out that the team had to push and take the risk considering what was at stake.
“To win, you have to have very little margin, right? I mean, that’s what winning is. You’re gonna make sure you exploit everything to the highest percentile possible, so anytime you’re trying to push, yeah, you’re cutting margin. So that gets riskier and riskier.” Gustafson said, as reported by NASCAR.Com.
Elliott secured just a P32 finish and ended the race a lap down. If not for the incident, he would have at least reduced the gap to Bubba Wallace at P16 significantly. The results might hurt more, considering his teammate Willaim Byron secured the win on Sunday, his fifth of the season, while his remains winless.
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Here is how fans reacted to the Chase Elliott incident
Elliott, the most popular driver on the grid, invited many reactions online in the NASCAR social media community. Fans on X blame the driver or the team for the mess up. A set of racing fans used the opportunity to troll the driver and the desperate situation he has found himself in.
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Justin P Joy
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