HMS ace Chase Elliott outlines the challenges of avoiding chaos at Daytona and Talladega
Hendrick Motorsports ace driver Chase Elliott recently highlighted the challenges to avoid chaos at racetracks like Daytona and Talladega. NASCAR returns to the Talladega Superspeedway for the Jack Link's 500 race in Alabama this weekend. Elliott, currently ranked fifth in the Cup Series this season, would expect a positive outcome from this weekend.
Elliott highlighted that strategising in terms of pit stops and fuel mileage in races like Daytona and Talladega plays a big role in the outcome of the race. He outlined how it is very difficult at these tracks to just stay out of the mess, as the drivers are so close together, running in packs. It is important to note that at such large, high-speed ovals with steep banking, even the most experienced drivers face issues navigating their way up the grid.
Further elaborating on this, Elliott explained that at these tracks, the drivers run too close to each other for periods as long as three to four hours, making drivers prone to lapses and causing or getting involved in wrecks. Subsequently, the three or four-wide lanes make it an equally challenging task for drivers to perform passing maneuvers, further elevating the risk of a crash.
"Talladega is just craziness. Daytona and Talladega are both drafting tracks. So, there are big packs and a lot of strategy in terms of pit stops and fuel mileage, and just trying to stay out of the mess. We are racing so close together for three or four hours and its very easy to make a mistake and cause a crash or be involved in one," Chase Elliott explained via Fox
Elliott finished 15th in the Food City 500 race at Bristol Motor Speedway. So far, the HMS ace has bagged 278 points and sits fifth in the driver standings.
Chase Elliott looks for third win in Talladega with the Jack Link's 500
Chase Elliott leads the Hendrick Motorsports team at the Talladega Superspeedway with two wins already at this track. The team leads the NASCAR Cup series with the most wins, most poles, most laps led, most top-fives, and most top-ten finishes at Alabama.
Chase Elliott has the best statistics among the Hendrick Motorsports team drivers. The 29-year-old driver has led 215 laps at the track, which is the most by any driver on the team. The driver has two poles and an average finish of 14.6 at the venue, five top-five finishes, and eight top-ten finishes out of the 18 races he has participated in.
Meanwhile, William Byron has the best average finish in the next-gen era with an average finish of 7.7, and his career mark of 14.4 is tops among active drivers with at least five starts.
The NASCAR Cup series will move to Talladega after a two-week Easter break, with the last race held at Bristol Motor Speedway.