Chase Elliott’s Darlington playoff performance left him and Hendrick Motorsports facing added pressure as the NASCAR postseason continues, with the No. 9 driver scoring a 17th-place finish that marked the team’s highest at the Southern 500 on Sunday. Entering the race ranked seventh, Elliott struggled to gain ground as the race unfolded at Darlington Raceway, intensifying the challenge for both himself and his teammates in the playoff standings.
Elliott Endures Difficult Night at Darlington
Starting from 21st position, Elliott managed to advance only a couple of spots in the early going, securing 19th in Stage 1 before sliding back to 21st by Stage 2. As the evening wore on, Hendrick Motorsports drivers—Elliott among them—saw their pace fade, with Chevrolet-powered teams unable to challenge for the front. Elliott eventually finished 17th, the best of all four Hendrick entries in a race that proved demanding for the entire organization.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Elliott was candid about the challenge he faced during the Southern 500.
“It was a really long night,”
—Chase Elliott, Driver. Despite clawing his way into the top ten at one point, strategy decisions and misfortune worked against him and the team.
“Everyone was being real aggressive with short-pitting, so we tried to run long. And then yeah, as soon as we did that, about eight or 10 laps in, the caution came out.”
—Chase Elliott, Driver. The situation on pit road added another layer of difficulty.
“It was honestly laughable at that juncture. Just came in and had an issue on pit road… had to put our heads down and grind out, just keep pushing at it. It’s been a long night for sure.”
—Chase Elliott, Driver.
Playoff Implications for Hendrick Motorsports
Elliott’s finish at Darlington had ripple effects throughout Rick Hendrick’s playoff roster. Kyle Larson, who entered with momentum, slipped to third in the standings but remains safely 38 points above the elimination line. William Byron, the regular season champion, now shares fifth position, holding a 25-point cushion. Meanwhile, Elliott himself finds his margin for error shrinking, currently sitting 11th and only nine points above the cutoff for the next playoff round. Alex Bowman faces the most precarious scenario, needing either a win or a considerable points gain over the upcoming two races to avoid elimination.
Elliott Eyes Next Steps with Team
With little time to recover, Elliott emphasized the importance of regrouping and improving before the next race.
“We’ve got to put our heads together and try to figure out how to be better next week at Gateway,”
—Chase Elliott, Driver. While Gateway presents its own challenges—where Elliott’s average finish is just 17.0—he can take some confidence from his strong record at Bristol, where he has averaged a 6.8 finish since the introduction of the Next Gen car.
As the playoff intensity grows, Chase Elliott and the Hendrick Motorsports team are under increasing pressure to deliver improved results. With pivotal races ahead at venues like Gateway and Bristol, their performance in these crucial weeks will determine whether Elliott remains in championship contention or slides further down the leaderboard.
