NASCAR Insider Heaps Praise on Chase Elliott as He Outshines Hendrick Teammate With Strong Finishes Despite Poor Qualifying Runs

“I’m pretty sure our season’s over,” were the words that no one thought Chase Elliott would say. The No. 9 driver’s bid for another championship took a gut punch at Bristol after coming into contact with John Hunter Nemechek on lap 311. This raised serious questions about whether he could still compete in the final race of the Round of 16. And we all saw what unfolded a few laps down. But here’s another thing that one insider has noticed. And it’s all to do with these 0 poles in 29 races that saw him finish with 14 Top-10s and 8 Top-5s.

Chase Elliott’s Round of 16 campaign has been a mixed bag. At Darlington, he rolled off 21st and battled through the field to secure a 17th-place finish, keeping his playoff run afloat but not without concern. A week later at Gateway, qualified 19th, he had delivered one of his strongest showings of the season, climbing through the pack and leaving with a third-place finish that proved his ability to convert middling starts into podiums. Bristol, however, told a different story. Starting 16th, Elliot was shuffled back after a costly mistake on a restart, which saw his night end in a DNF. While that’s that, he still managed to finish ahead of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron.

Speaking on the PRN Live, Brad Gillie said, “Chase Elliott, I almost feel, is just the exact opposite; that they’ve not been very good in qualifying, but they found a way to be up front at the end. And William Byron and Rudy Fugle, it’s all of a sudden, they’re just sort of living in mediocrity, and that’s great to get you out of the first round, but I don’t know that, that gets you out of the next round. I don’t know that gets you into the championship four. So for Hendrick Motorsports, I would say, look, you’re not going to like, you know, eighth place finish your way into the championship four.”

And that is absolutely right. William Byron’s playoff start has leaned in a different direction with stronger qualifying performances but less impressive finishes. At Darlington, he started his race at 11th place and could only manage a 21st-place result, a disappointing beginning to the Round of 16. Gateway showcase has one lap speed, as Byron qualified sixth and put himself in a prime position to contend, but the No. 24 couldn’t hold serve over the long haul, slipping into an 11th-place finish. At Bristol, Byron once again put together a solid qualifying effort with a seventh-place start, but his finishing position remains 12th.

This carves an incomplete picture of his momentum heading into the Round of 12. Despite Byron’s strong starting points, Elliott has been the one delivering results that count most when the checkout flag waves. The ability to climb through the pack and turn a poor qualifying effort into a strong point underlined Chase Elliott’s playoff savvy, even as Byron continued to show speed in time trials without the same race-day payoff.

Hendrick Motorsports came out of the Round of 16 with three of its four drivers advancing, though the results highlight a mix of strength and vulnerability within the camp. Kyle Larson and William Byron are both tied for second in the playoff standings, sitting comfortably at +24 points above the cut line and establishing themselves as serious championship contenders. Chase Elliott, while not as secure, managed to advance as well, clinging to 7th place, which is a five-point cushion above elimination after a turbulent stretch of races.

The only setback for the organization came with Alex Bowman, who, despite showing flashes of competitiveness, particularly at Bristol, fell below the cut line and was eliminated. For Hendrick, the picture heading into the Round of 12 is one of cautious optimism. And as fans show no mercy to Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick doesn’t exactly blame Elliott’s Night Race that ended in a DNF.

Kevin Harvick defends Chase Elliott amid playoff pressure

The Bristol Night Race proved to be his toughest blow. While trying to drop his car from the high groove back down to the bottom lane, Elliott spotted a gap in front of Nemechek, but the space closed too quickly. Contact from John Hunter sent Elliott into the outside wall, ending his night. With everyone pointing fingers at each other, Kevin Harvick has weighed in on the incident. He labeled it a racing dealer rather than pinning blame.

Harvick explained, “It looked to me like the 9 [Elliott] was out of the groove and trying to find a hole, and the 42 [Nemechek] had committed to filling the hole. When the 9 pulled down, he had to check up really hard and hit the back of the 9, and the 11 [Denny Hamlin] hit the back of the 42, and that ultimately sent the 9 spinning. In those situations when you’re racing like that, you want to keep that guy up in the top groove, knowing that he’s vulnerable, and you want to take that position. … I think that’s just a racing deal, in my opinion.”

And as Harvick doesn’t directly put the blame on Chase Elliott, his playoff hopes are still intact despite the setback. With the points reset for the Round of 12, paired with his calm demeanor, there might be a chance for Elliott to make up for lost points. All eyes will be on ‘Mr. Popular’ to see if he can improve his chances of winning the 2025 title.