Chase Elliott Dissects NASCAR’s Double Edged Sword, Reignites Denny Hamlin’s Horsepower Rant With Harsh Reality Check

The first victory in 42 starts dating back to 2022. Yes, Chase Elliott is back to his winning ways. This was also his first victory on a mile-and-a-half-track driving the Next Gen car. But the win did not come easily, and that’s why it is so special. It was a spectacle at the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400, so full of drama and fierce rivalry. Moreover, the Texas Speedway witnessed it all, from lead changes occurring between 13 drivers to a record-setting 16-caution period. Post the victory, the driver also did a reverse victory rap to pay homage to Alan Kulwicki. After all, the late series champion’s car was also sponsored by Hooters.

With three late-race restarts, including two during overtime, Chase Elliott clinched a win, where throughout the final lap, he was either pushed by Brad Keselowski or Denny Hamlin. Now, Elliott opened up after the race to conclude that it was these pushes from other drivers that helped him sail through.

Chase Elliott reveals what helped him secure a win!

Chase Elliott joined Dale Earnhardt Jr on his show to express his Texas racing insights. Describing how racing used to be a bit different a couple of years ago, he emphasized the launch’s importance, and how a good launch did half your job. Elliott felt that it was the push from other drivers that kept him going. Hence, he termed this as the “double-edged sword” of NASCAR.

“It was all about the launch, and as long as you got a good launch, it was kind of all in your hands. To not spin the tires and just to make sure you got going… And typically if you did a good job accelerating because we had so much power, you could clear the guy or not… But the launch was everything, whereas now, especially at the mile and a half, is a lot of it’s the push,” said Chase Elliott.

“So, it’s a double-edged sword because, you know, three things go on in my opinion. One, you almost don’t want to get too good of a launch, because you need the guys to push behind you to help you get going. So that means you’re kind of relying on his push to help clear the outside lane.” 

Elliott further expressed his concerns about the challenges of managing the dynamics of racing. Especially when receiving a strong push from another driver. He expressed a desire for the leading driver to have more control over the race, as he believes the current situation disproportionately benefits those in the second row, particularly on tracks with wider grooves. However, despite these issues, he accepted that these are the conditions they have to work with, emphasizing the need for aggression in the race.

Denny Hamlin still disapproves of the Horsepower

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Over the months, many racing enthusiasts, former and current drivers, have requested NASCAR to proceed with their request. One such person is JGR No. 11 star Denny Hamlin. Time and again, Hamlin has openly shared his opinions regarding NASCAR’s decision to decrease horsepower. He disapproves of the measures to cut down RPMs and horsepower, arguing that they detract from the racing experience.

“The reason we want horsepower, people, is because it creates off-throttle time. It creates…an opportunity for the best drivers to go out there and, manhandle their car. And, change their line and really be a factor in their finish because…there’s more breaking more off-throttle time more rolling time more cracking the throttle,” he opined.

Even though Denny Hamlin is in a position to gain from reduced engine costs as a driver-owner, he contends that the sport suffers from the current reduced horsepower. He has also raised concerns about NASCAR’s lack of response on this issue, proposing that a boost in horsepower could be easily and affordably achieved, thereby improving the quality of racing.

Let’s see if NASCAR decides to revoke its current plan and increase HP in the future!