Chase Elliott Backs Jimmie Johnson’s Championship Winning Crew-Chief’s Dismissal of Early Performance Assessment

The Cup Series points table seems like home to Hendrick Motorsports with #5 Chevrolet driver Kyle Larson leading the standings. While Larson and William Byron are already ranking, Chase Elliott secured his seventh place in the table despite not having a top-10 finish throughout the season. Elliott’s recent achievements and playoff performances imply that his 2023 struggles aren’t enough for concern.

HMS Vice President Chad Knaus has also said in the past that he does not want to evaluate Elliott’s performance before the Coca-Cola 600, and the 28-year-old seems to acknowledge Knaus’ judgment.

Chase Elliott seems to respect Chad Knaus’ claim

After a disappointing 17th-place standing in the 2023 Cup Series, Chase Elliott is finally back on track this year. Despite this, there are a variety of viewpoints about Elliott’s performance. Former NASCAR crew chief Chad Knaus is one of the individuals who did not provide any feedback on the 28-year-old’s performance. To make a decision, he chooses to wait until the first 10 races are completed, at least until the Coca-Cola 600. Chase Elliott respected the veteran’s remarks and expressed appreciation for his wide NASCAR experience.

When asked about Knaus’ statement, Chase Elliott said, “Yeah, I would say so. He’s been doing a long time. He’s won a heck of a lot more than I have. So he is definitely a better person to ask. And I think, too, being in that position that he was in as a crew chief. Then obviously now, you get a really good global view of things. Sometimes being in the driver’s seat, you’re just immersed so deep into it. It’s hard to step back and get some of those thousand-foot views. I think he is a really good person to ask and probably the best one to ask. I think he answered it well.” 

Elliott’s impressive rankings have everyone hoping for a fantastic swerve this year, even if he hasn’t won or finished in the top ten just yet. Nevertheless, Chase Eliott’s recent performance makes it seem like last year’s season was lacking the real Elliott.

He knows the demands of defending a NASCAR championship from his experience as a champion in 2020. Last year, he was involved in several controversies, ending in a suspension after the Coca-Cola 600—coincidentally, the same race that Chad Knaus cited on the matter of assessing his performance.

NASCAR suspended Chase Elliott for one race after the Coca-Cola 600 incident

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Last year, Chase Elliott faced a suspension after a crash with Denny Hamlin during the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After a collision in Turn 4, both vehicles were eliminated from the competition as a consequence of the incident that occurred between Hamlin and Elliott.

The NASCAR officials concluded that Elliott had acted deliberately. They stated, “The incident that happened off Turn 4, again after looking at all the available resources – in-car camera, data, SMT, which basically gives us (a car’s) steering, throttle, gives us braking – it was an intentional act by Chase in our opinion.”

So, Elliott was replaced for the next race by Corey Lajoie when Hendrick Motorsports decided not to fight the penalty. After the suspension, Elliott and Hamlin exchanged sour words in podcasts and social media. Thankfully, everyone has moved on and is ready to start with a clean slate this year, committing to deliver strong performances leading up to the Coca-Cola 600.

With the Coca-Cola 600 scheduled for May at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Eliott will make his 300th start in the series. Hopefully, his upcoming races will impress, possibly easing the assessment from figures like Chad Knaus.

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