Jump to content

  • Welcome to Auto Parts Forum

    Whether you are a veteran automotive parts guru or just someone looking for some quick auto parts advice, register today and start a new topic in our forum. Registration is free and you can even sign up with social network platforms such as Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. 

     

Elliott Rallies to 16th after Late-Race Setbacks at COTA


Recommended Posts

  • Chase Elliott and No. 9
    link hidden, please login to view
    team qualified ninth for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of The Americas (COTA)
  • As part of the team’s strategy, the 2020 Cup champions pitted in the closing laps of each of the first two stages to hopefully put themselves in a good position to battle for the win
  • In the final stage, Elliott had just made a pass for fifth place when his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro got loose and he was penalized for exceeding the track limits
  • Despite serving a pass-through penalty, the 28-year-old rebounded to 11th on lap 54
  • Turning some of the fastest laps of the field, he was close to breaking into the top 10 when he spun and dropped to 19th
  • Elliott rallied to finish 16th and is now ninth in the Cup Series points standings

Chase Elliott earned a ninth-place starting position for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), marking the third straight week the No. 9 team qualified inside the top 10. At the start of the 68-lap race, Elliott held his own among the top-10 running order. He lost some positions as the run went on and was 13th when he relayed to the team that his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 felt stiff on initial load. Elliott advanced to 12th prior to being called to pit road in the closing laps of stage one for four tires and fuel – one of the popular pit strategies among the field. With some teams staying out on the track, Elliott was 18th following the pit stop and that’s where he remained to end the first stage.

During the stage break, several teams that didn’t short pit the first segment made their way to pit road, putting Elliott in the ninth position to start stage two. Prior to taking the green flag, the 28-year-old driver reported that the NAPA Chevy was tighter through the center of the turns after the initial pit stop. Despite the tight handling condition, Elliott continued to turn laps inside the top 10 during the second stage. He ran as high as seventh and was scored in the eighth spot when crew chief Alan Gustafson radioed for Elliott to come to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. The team also took the opportunity to reverse an air-pressure adjustment that was made the first pit stop. Elliott returned to the track in 21st and stayed there to take the green-and-white checkered flag on lap 30.

The 2020 Cup Series champion started the final stage from the 11th position on lap 33 and impressively maneuvered his way to sixth by lap 36. Elliott had just made the pass for fifth when he got loose in turn four and was issued a pass-through penalty for short cutting the course. The team challenged the call, but Elliott was ultimately forced to serve the penalty on lap 40. After leaving pit road, Elliott was scored 22nd but quickly made up ground on his competitors. Green flag pit stops got under way on lap 44 with the No. 9 team making its on lap 47. Following the four-tire pit stop, Elliott was 26th in the running order but was consistently turning some of the fastest laps of the field. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native was up to 20th on lap 50 and advanced to 15th just one lap later as green-flag stops continued. Elliott was up to 11th and had his sights set on a top-10 finish when he got loose and spun. The driver of the No. 9 was able to continue but the setback dropped him to 19th. Refusing to give up, Elliott fought hard to regain track position. He picked up a few spots and the team was hopeful for a late-race caution, but it never came. When the checkered flag waved, Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts crew was scored with a 16th-place finish. 

Elliott leaves COTA ninth in the Cup Series points standings, just 47 markers behind the leader.

Next Race: Sunday, March 31, Richmond Raceway
How to Watch or Listen: 7:00 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN or SiriusXM

Start / Finish: 9 / 16
Points Standing / Total: 9th / 173 pts. (-47)

NAPA: 

link hidden, please login to view

Chase Elliott: 
link hidden, please login to view

Hendrick Motorsports: 
link hidden, please login to view

No. 9 Team: 
link hidden, please login to view

The post

link hidden, please login to view
appeared first on
link hidden, please login to view
.

link hidden, please login to view

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Similar Topics

    • By NAPA
      Chase Elliott and the No. 9 UniFirst team qualified 31st for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. Elliott methodically worked his way forward in the first stage to earn a 26th-place result before ending stage two in 16th. After an issue during a pit stop relegated Elliott outside the top 20 to start the final stage, he battled back to take the checkered flag in the 12th position. The 2020 Cup Series champion ranks fourth in the points standings and is just 49 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott qualified 31st for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. Driving the No. 9 UniFirst Throwback Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Elliott maneuvered his way to 29th by lap 22 and was in that same position when the team made its first pit stop of the race for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment on lap 37. Once the field cycled through green-flag pit stops, Elliott was up to the 23rd position. Further into the run, the 2020 Cup Series champion relayed that he hurt his right-rear tire as he began to lose some track position. When the green-and-white checkered flag waved to end stage one, Elliott was scored in the 26th position.
      Under the stage-ending caution, crew chief Alan Gustafson made the call for chassis and air-pressure adjustments during the team’s pit stop for four tires and fuel. Elliott was the 23rd driver to choose his lane to start the second stage. He chose the inside lane prior to taking the green flag on lap 98. The Hendrick Motorsports driver continued to battle inside the top 25 and was scored in 22nd when the caution flag waved on lap 120. Elliott radioed to Gustafson that the UniFirst Chevrolet was too tight during the course of that run, so the team opted to reverse the previous chassis adjustment when Elliott visited pit road for fresh tires and fuel. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native restarted from the 21st position on lap 128 and was up to 19th when the yellow flag was displayed again just one lap later.
      Staying out, he restarted 19th and advanced to 17th early before dropping back outside of the top 20. Elliott reported that the UniFirst Chevrolet was still too tight. When another caution flag came out on lap 164, the team called Elliott in for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. He was 20th to choose his lane and took the outside for the restart on lap 169. From there, he pressed forward and nearly entered the top 15 before the end of the second stage, ultimately finishing it in the 16th position on lap 185.
      After an issue during the team’s pit stop under the stage break, Elliott lined up deep in the field to start the final stage on lap 193. He was up to 24th on lap 212 and reported shortly after that his No. 9 UniFirst Chevy would be ok if he had good track position. He improved one more spot before coming to pit road under the green flag for four tires and fuel on lap 226. Once the pit cycle concluded, he was scored in 13th and advanced to 12th before cars on fresher tires started gaining on him. He was in 16th when a caution came out on lap 254 and was 14th to choose his lane after pitting for four tires and fuel. He chose the outside lane for the lap-260 restart and battled hard in the closing laps of the race to take the checkered flag in the 12th position.
      The Hendrick Motorsports driver leaves Darlington fourth in the Cup Series points standings, just 49 markers behind the leader.
      Start / Finish: 31 / 12
      Points Standing / Total: 4th / 437 pts.
      Next Race: Sunday, May 19, North Wilkesboro Speedway
      How to Watch or Listen: 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
      NAPA: 
      link hidden, please login to view
      Chase Elliott:  link hidden, please login to view
      Hendrick Motorsports:  link hidden, please login to view
      No. 9 Team:  link hidden, please login to view The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • By NAPA
      Chase Elliott and the No. 9 link hidden, please login to view team qualified ninth for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. Elliott finished stage one in 10th and followed that up with an 11th-place result in stage two. The 28-year-old driver lined up fourth for an overtime restart in the final stage, driving to a third-place finish. It was Elliott’s second consecutive top-five result and his fifth top-five in the last six Cup Series races. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion ranks third in the points standings, just 55 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott started ninth in Sunday’s rain-delayed NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway and was scored in the 14th position on lap 10 when he reported that his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was tight. As the run went on, he radioed that his Chevy’s handling was coming to him. Elliott was in 15th when green-flag pit stops started near lap 30. Crew chief Alan Gustafson called the driver of the No. 9 to pit road on lap 33 for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. He was back inside the top 15 once the field cycled through pit stops. By lap 62, he found his way to 10th where he remained to end stage one on lap 80.
      After pitting for four tires and fuel during the stage break, Elliott took the green flag for stage two from the ninth position on lap 89. A chaotic restart shuffled the 28-year-old driver back to 15th, but as the run went on, he made up ground and climbed to 12th by lap 113. As green-flag pit stops were drawing near, Gustafson asked Elliott for feedback on the NAPA Chevrolet. After receiving positive comments from his driver, Gustafson radioed for Elliott to visit pit road on lap 119 for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. Once the pit cycle was complete, Elliott was back up to 12th and continued to close in on the cars ahead of him. By lap 143, he re-entered the top 10. He battled hard to remain in the 10th position, but another car just barely beat him to the line to finish stage two, relegating Elliott to 11th.
      Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott reported that he really liked his NAPA Chevy’s balance. He brought the No. 9 Chevrolet to the attention of his pit crew for fuel and four fresh tires. A fast stop gained Elliott three spots on pit road. He started the final stage from the eighth position on lap 173. The early portion of the stage was plagued with cautions, with Elliott and the No. 9 team opting not to pit during the first few yellow flags. When the caution came out again on lap 198, Elliott pitted from the ninth position for four tires and fuel. Varying pit strategies put Elliott in the 20th position as the field lined up for the choose cone. He took the outside lane for the restart on lap 205 and powered his way back inside the top 15 on lap 208. Elliott continued his climb forward, reaching 10th less than 10 laps later. As the long green-flag run went on, he gained two more positions. Elliott was in eighth after a caution came out on lap 261, which sent the race into overtime. When pit road opened, Gustafson called Elliott in for right-side tires and fuel. Elliott was the fourth car off pit road, with the top nine cars all taking two tires. The 2020 Cup Series champion lined up on the outside of the second row for the overtime restart. He battled intensely in the final two laps to take the checkered flag in the third position.
      The finish was Elliott’s second consecutive top-five finish and his fifth top-five in the last six Cup Series races. The Hendrick Motorsports driver leaves Kansas Speedway third in the Cup Series points standings, just 55 markers behind the leader.
      Start / Finish: 9 / 3
      Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 412 pts. (-55)
      Next Race: Sunday, May 12, Darlington Raceway
      How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
      NAPA: 
      link hidden, please login to view
      Chase Elliott:  link hidden, please login to view
      Hendrick Motorsports:  link hidden, please login to view
      No. 9 Team:  link hidden, please login to view The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • By NAPA
      Chase Elliott and the No. 9 link hidden, please login to view team qualified 29th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway. Elliott showcased a 16-position gain by lap 60 en route to a ninth-place result in stage one and followed that up with a fifth-place finish in stage two. The 28-year-old driver remained in the top 10 during the final stage, ultimately finishing the 400-lap race in the fifth position. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion ranks third in the points standings, just 33 markers behind the leader. Following Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions at Dover Motor Speedway, Chase Elliott started Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race 29th. At the start of the scheduled 400-lap race, Elliott navigated among the surrounding cars, advancing to 20th by lap 39 before the first caution waved over the field. Under the caution, Elliott brought the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to pit road for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. Unfortunately, when exiting pit road, he made contact with a competitor but sustained no damage. On lap 48, Elliott took the green from the outside lane in the 15th position. Progressing steadily, he maneuvered to 13th halfway through stage one, making a gain of 16 positions at the “Monster Mile.” Continuing his charge, the 28-year-old driver entered the top 10 behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman with 46 laps to go in the stage. As the first stage drew to a close, another caution came out with two laps to go, ultimately leading to a ninth-place finish for Elliott under the yellow flag on lap 120.
      Amid the caution, Elliott communicated to the No. 9 team that his Chevrolet experienced some tightness when near to his competitors. On lap 123, he pitted for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. When the green flag waved on lap 130, Elliott resumed in the ninth position. Shortly after the restart, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native reported that he got into the wall, but No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson reassured him that the NAPA Auto Parts Chevy was good and had no visible damage. On lap 182, Elliott visited pit road for fresh tires and fuel as green-flag pit stops were underway. He raced inside the top 10 as the pit cycle continued and advanced to the top five in the closing laps of the second stage. Ultimately, he took the green-and-white checkered flag in the fifth position on lap 250.
      During the stage break, Elliott expressed confidence in his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, stating that he felt “just as good as everyone else” before pitting for four tires and fuel on lap 253. As the green flag waved for the start of the final stage on lap 259, Elliott was in the fifth position and continued to battle inside the top 10 until green-flag pit stops began. Elliott pitted for more tires and fuel on lap 320, but following his return to the track, a caution came out. Leveraging the No. 9 team’s strategy, Elliott stayed out during the caution, along with other drivers who had already pitted, which put him in the fourth spot for the restart. Following another caution, the green flag waved again on lap 339, with Elliott placed fifth. Demonstrating resilience, Elliott fended off his competitors to secure a top-five finish, taking the checkered flag in the fifth position at the conclusion of Sunday’s race on lap 400.
      Elliott leaves Dover Motor Speedway third in the Cup Series points standings, just 33 markers behind the leader.
      “I was really happy with our car, honestly. A couple of moves here or there… I needed to just get myself a little further forward. But I’m really happy with the NAPA Chevy. We had a really solid day, and it was fun. It’s always fun when you can pass your way to the front.”
      Start / Finish: 29 / 5
      Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 377 pts. (-33)
      Next Race: Sunday, May 5, Kansas Speedway
      How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
      NAPA: 
      link hidden, please login to view
      Chase Elliott:  link hidden, please login to view
      Hendrick Motorsports:  link hidden, please login to view
      No. 9 Team:  link hidden, please login to view The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • By NAPA
      Chase Elliott and the No. 9 link hidden, please login to view team qualified ninth for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. Elliott led laps en route to a second-place result in stage one and followed that up with an eighth-place finish in stage two. After making multiple moves to try to advance to the front of the field towards the end race, he avoided a last-lap multi-car incident to finish 15th. The 28-year-old driver now sits third in the Cup Series point standings, just 22 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott advanced to the final round of Saturday’s qualifying session, ultimately claiming a ninth-place starting position for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup series race at Talladega Superspeedway. Early in the race, Elliott opted to drop back in the field in an effort to conserve fuel. He maneuvered his way forward utilizing the outside lane as the field went three wide. Eventually, the driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 found the front of the pack and took over the lead for the first time of the race on lap 42. Just two laps later, Elliott made his way to pit road for a fuel-only stop. Once green-flag stops cycled through, the 28-year-old driver retook the lead. He raced side-by-side with the No. 2 for the top spot as the field ran double file. Elliott came up just short of the stage win, taking the green-and-white checkered flag in second at the conclusion of lap 60.
      Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott relayed that he thought he wore out the right front tire. After the team made a pit stop for four tires and fuel, crew chief Alan Gustafson examined the tires and relayed to Elliott that the right front looked fine. The 2020 Cup Series champion was the second one off of pit road but opted to line up on the outside of row two to start the second stage. The majority of the field went back to three-wide racing and Elliott utilized all the lanes throughout the stage to find momentum. On lap 103, he brought the NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet to the attention of his crew for fuel. In the closing laps of stage two, Elliott was running among the front half of his competitors and scored an eighth-place result at its lap-120 conclusion.
      After pitting for four tires and fuel during the stage break, the team opted to pit again to top off the fuel tank of the NAPA Auto Parts Chevy. Elliott took the green flag for the final stage deep in the field and was running just outside of the top 20 when the yellow flag waved for a multi-car incident. After pitting for fuel only, Elliott restarted inside the top 15 and continued to run among the top 20 in the running order. After another caution came out on lap, the No. 9 NAPA team took the opportunity to pit for the final time for fuel. Elliott was the 16th to choose his lane for the lap-161 restart and opted for the inside. As the laps wound down, Elliott joined a third lane of cars on the outside. After initially making progress, the lane stalled out and he lost his momentum. On the final lap of the race, the leaders triggered a multi-car incident and Elliott avoided the melee to earn a 15th-place finish.
      A solid points day for Elliott moved him up to third in the Cup Series driver standings. He’ll head to Dover Motor Speedway next week just 22 markers behind the leader.
      Start / Finish: 9 / 15
      Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 337 (-22)
      Next Race: Sunday, April 28, Dover Motor Speedway
      How to Watch or Listen: 2:00 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN or SiriusXM
      NAPA: 
      link hidden, please login to view
      Chase Elliott:  link hidden, please login to view
      Hendrick Motorsports:  link hidden, please login to view
      No. 9 Team:  link hidden, please login to view The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • A-premium Auto Parts:5% OFF with Code GM5.
    • By NAPA
      Chase Elliott scored his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, snapping a 42-race winless streak The win is Elliott’s 19th career Cup Series victory in his 295th start, his third at a 1.5-mile track and his first at Texas It was the Dawsonville, Georgia, native’s first victory with Hooters as the primary partner on the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Elliott led three times for a total of 39 laps, including the final 17 circuits The 28-year-old driver now sits fourth in the Cup Series point standings, just 32 markers behind the leader Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hooters team qualified 24th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Once the green flag dropped, Elliott improved to 21st and remained there until the first round of green-flag pit stops got under way. As part of the team’s strategy to try to gain track position, Elliott ran long and eventually took over the lead. Crew chief Alan Gustafson was close to calling his driver to pit road, but the caution flag waved at an opportune time with Elliott still out front when the yellow flag waved on lap 50. Under the caution, Elliott brought the No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. He restarted in the ninth position and advanced to seventh to end the first stage at lap 80.
      During the stage break, Elliott relayed that the Hooter’s Chevrolet was a little edgy late in the run and could use a little bit of security. After a fast stop for four tires and fuel, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native lined up seventh to start the second stage and was up to fifth when the race was slowed for a caution on lap 101. Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for right-side tires and fuel. The driver of the No. 9 was fifth to line up for the restart. He got shuffled back to 10th early in the run and was in that same spot when the caution came out on lap 114. Staying out, Elliott restarted ninth and remained inside the top 10. He came to pit road for four tires and fuel when the race fell under caution on lap 137. With varying pit strategies, Elliott restarted in 13th and drove to 10th to finish stage two at lap 165.
      Under the stage-ending caution, the team opted not to pit. Elliott took the green flag for the final stage from the fifth position on lap 172 and advanced to fourth before the caution came out for an incident the very next lap. Once again, Elliott stayed out on the track and was fourth for the restart on lap 177. He was in that same position at the time of the next caution on lap 181. After choosing not to pit, he was in fourth for the restart and moved into third on lap 185. A long green-flag run ensued, and Elliott pitted from the third position with just over 50 laps remaining in the race. He was scored in 15th when a caution came out on lap 230 before the field had cycled through pit stops. Once the teams that hadn’t pit yet made their stops under the yellow, Elliott moved up to third for the restart. The 28-year-old driver made a power move to the lead. He held point until the driver of the No. 11 worked his way by with 22 laps to go. An on-track incident brought out the yellow flag with just 13 laps remaining, giving Elliott another shot at the lead on the ensuing restart. Once the race was back under way with eight laps to go in regulation, Elliott was battling for the lead and was scored ahead when another caution flag came out. He led the field to the green flag with just two laps remaining, but an incident brought out the caution again and sent the race into overtime. Elliott held off the competition through multiple overtime restarts to earn his first victory of the season.
      It was his 19th career Cup Series victory and his first premier series win at Texas. With the win, Elliott and the No. 9 team moved up to fourth in the Cup Series points standings, just 32 markers behind the leader.
      “First off, thanks to everybody that came out today. You guys are unbelievable,” Elliott said following the win.
      “Hooters has been a partner of ours for a number of years now. It’s been a dream of mine to pay respect to the late Alan Kulwicki. Driving this car to a victory and do a Polish victory lap, just really crazy how things came full circle there in that moment. It was pretty emotional for me. He beat dad back in the day. Here we are sharing his sponsor and having an opportunity to win today. 
      So just, man, couldn’t be more grateful for this journey and kind of the path that hasn’t always been fun, but certainly have enjoyed working with our guys. We’ve been working really hard and really well together. Like I said, hasn’t always been fun, but we’ve enjoyed the fight together.
      Couldn’t be more proud of our team. Thanks to our partners at link hidden, please login to view, Chevrolet. Everybody at Hendrick Motorsports. Had a big week last week. Boss, thank you for sticking with me. Really, really proud of this. Appreciate all the folks back home that have stuck with me and helped us get back on track.”
      Start / Finish: 24 / 1
      Points Standing / Total: 4th / 303 pts. (-32)
      Next Race: Sunday, April 21, Talladega Superspeedway
      How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN or SiriusXM
      NAPA: 
      link hidden, please login to view
      Chase Elliott:  link hidden, please login to view
      Hendrick Motorsports:  link hidden, please login to view
      No. 9 Team:  link hidden, please login to view The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view

×
  • Create New...