Chase Elliott offers new view on NASCAR win nearly | Sports News

NASCAR star Chase Elliott is hoping to attain back-to-back wins on the Cook Out Clash exhibition — however the Hendrick Motorsports star has admitted that final 12 months’s victory nearly did not occur regardless of main 171 laps. Elliott, 30, a one-time Cup Series champion, stays NASCAR’s hottest driver, making him one of the game’s largest attracts, and he led from the entrance at Bowman Gray, setting the stage for a large 2025 marketing campaign that noticed him rating two factors victories and a playoff run.

Elliott led a whopping 171 laps ultimately 12 months’s exhibition and managed to carry on to take the checkered flag. He led all however 29 laps — however admits to that had the race been 10 laps more, he would’ve struggled to carry off challenges for the lead from the likes of Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, and then-defending Cup champion Joey Logano.

“I thought it was a there’s really a pretty good race, too. I think back to just the different things that went on, and obviously Ryan [Blaney] was really strong late. His Martinsville late runs that we’ve seen started to show up, and just how dominant they’ve gotten was tough to defend from my perspective.

“I used to be sort of going the opposite means, so glad it wasn’t how many laps is that race [200]? I’m glad I wasn’t 210 as a result of I’d have most likely been in bother.”

Elliott then swatted away the suggestion that he dominated the Clash after leading 171 laps. “We did not,” he added. Concerns were raised about whether the delayed Clash would throw Daytona 500 plans into disarray.

The points season opener at Daytona is scheduled for a week from this Sunday, and it is considered NASCAR’s biggest and most historic race. William Byron has won back-to-back Dayton 500s, a streak Elliott and other fellow NASCAR rivals will want to snap.

Elliott says the delay in North Carolina won’t have much effect on Daytona preparations. “I might disagree simply from the standpoint of the Clash used to at all times be Saturday evening the week earlier than Daytona,” Elliott mentioned on The Backstrech Podcast.

“In Daytona, that was the one distinction, however Winston-Salem being so close to Charlotte, I do not suppose it is that large of a deal from the crew facet. The automobiles are impounded in a building in Winston-Salem proper now, so it isn’t like you’ll be able to mess with them.

“So, I honestly don’t really know that it’s changed a lot from that perspective, and other than maybe the haulers getting turned around from you know different parts and pieces that you would take to the clash versus taking to Daytona might be a little different.”