Chase Elliott, facing a critical moment in the NASCAR Cup Series, boosted his playoff prospects by delivering an impressive effort in Chase Elliott Las Vegas qualifying on Saturday. With his championship hopes threatened by a deficit in points, Elliott’s performance at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway set the stage for what could be a pivotal race in his postseason campaign.
Elevated Focus and Clear Intent Entering Las Vegas
After narrowly moving past the Round of 12—thanks to a timely victory at Kansas and a survival effort at Charlotte—Elliott entered Las Vegas with just 14 points keeping him from the playoff cutline. The need for a standout result was clear, and Elliott made his mindset known during a Saturday media session, stating his determination to concentrate on his own performance and eliminate outside distractions.
“I’m not going to sit there and, you know, only pay attention to them. I have enough going on on my own. So for me, it’s just all about just trying to maximize the things that I can do, you know,”
said Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports driver.
This focused approach translated directly onto the track. In qualifying, Elliott propelled his NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet to a strong fourth-place starting position. Although Denny Hamlin ultimately secured the pole, Elliott lined up close behind, with Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell between them. His lap time of 29.259 seconds was only narrowly slower than Hamlin’s 29.213-second pole-winning run.
Overcoming Las Vegas Setbacks and Next Gen Challenges
While the qualifying performance signals renewed confidence, Las Vegas has historically presented challenges for Elliott. The 29-year-old has yet to win at this particular 1.5-mile track, coming closest as runner-up to Hamlin in September 2021. More recently, his finishes at this venue have slipped; Elliott has failed to crack the top 10 in his last five starts here and has ended up outside the top 20 on three occasions during that span.
The transition to NASCAR’s Next Gen car complicated matters further. Elliott reflected on this struggle, noting,
“I thought we had some pretty good runs (at Las Vegas) prior to Next Gen, and then the inception of the Next Gen car, I feel like it was a pretty big step backwards,”
said Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports driver. That recent context makes his fourth-place qualifying run especially significant, as it breaks a streak of starting no higher than fifth since March 2022, with his average starting position in recent races at Las Vegas lagging far behind contenders.
Significance for Playoff Advancement and What Lies Ahead
With the pressure of reaching the next round mounting, Elliott knows he must either capture a win at Las Vegas or perform well in the upcoming high-stakes races at Talladega and Martinsville. Securing a strong start in Las Vegas presents a rare opportunity for him to control his own destiny despite disadvantageous past results and the inherent unpredictability of NASCAR playoffs.
For Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports, this moment could mark a major shift in their postseason narrative. The strong qualifying suggests that, even with intense pressure and prior disappointments at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Elliott remains very much in contention. His drive at Las Vegas may prove to be the spark his playoff run needs, as the competition narrows and each race gains significance on the road to the NASCAR Cup Series championship.
