"Left it all out there" - HMS star Chase Elliott shares candid thoughts on IG after playoff elimination despite strong finish
Chase Elliott's chance to be a part of the Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway slipped away despite a solid run and a runner-up finish at the final Round of 8 race at Martinsville Speedway. The Hendrick Motorsports star had a race-winning car for much of the race, but it ultimately wasn't enough to secure a spot for the 28-year-old.
The 2020 Cup Series champion started second on the grid at the Xfinity 500 race and dominated the first half of the race, winning Stage 1—his first stage win since the 2024 Daytona 500.
Even after mid-race pit stop issues dropped Elliott to 26th, NASCAR's Most Popular Driver managed to regain the lead from his HMS teammate Kyle Larson with 23 laps remaining. However, he lost the lead to Team Penske's Ryan Blaney after 10 laps, who ultimately secured the Championship 4 spot by driving to the checkered flag.
Soon after the final Round of 8 race, the #9 Chevy driver shared a note on his social media account.
"Needed one more. Left it all out there. P2 at Martinsville," he wrote.
"It didn't work out for us": Chase Elliott reflects on last-stage strategies at the Martinsville race
Chase Elliott clinched a playoff berth by breaking his 42-race winless streak at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Despite securing only one win, he delivered consistent performances throughout the season, including 11 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes.
Elliott's Round of 8 campaign started with a DNF at Las Vegas. However, he bounced back with a P5 finish at Homestead-Miami. As a result, he found himself at the bottom of the playoff standings heading into the Martinsville race, putting him in a must-win situation at the short track.
Despite starting his final playoff race with a dominant run, fortune didn't play out in Elliott's favor towards the closing moments of the race. Reflecting on his strategy, Elliott said (via kickinthetires):
"I was pushing really hard to get to the No. 5 [Larson]. I just felt like Ryan [Blaney] had been really good and I was scared to give him an opportunity to get to the No. 5 first. I really wanted to try to get the lead. And then you never know… maybe a caution can come out or something."
Furthermore, Rick Hendrick's driver added:
"It didn’t work out for us. All I know is that we came up one spot short and that’s unfortunate. [The race] was really solid. We’ll go to Phoenix and try to put together a good weekend because that is obviously an important deal."
The 19 times Cup Series race winner will next be seen in action during the final race of the 2024 NASCAR season at Phoenix Raceway on November 10.