Chase Elliott’s Crew Chief Details “Blessed” Career at HMS, Despite Widespread Backlash From the Racing Community

In NASCAR, maintaining your glory is a bigger headache than the race track victory itself. Drivers’ critics often come forward blaming them on probably every occasion when they cannot perform well. However, Alan Gustafson, Chase Elliott’s ‘reliable’ crew chief, is clearly not affected by any struggles and considers them to be a part of every team’s journey. In a recent interview, he described his HMS journey so far. And emphasized on the struggles that foster relationships in the racing world.

How does Alan Gustafson feel to be a part of Elliott’s team at HMS?

Chase Elliott’s crew chief opened up to NASCAR Live in a Spotify episode. The interviewer asked about the great legacy of Rick Hendrick’s team, and how Gustafson feels to be a part of it. Gustafson mentioned that he is blessed to be a part of such an esteemed organization.

Gustafson made some heartfelt remarks, saying, “The first thing is the people I think, the opportunity to work with so many amazing people. Yeah, and the relationships that I’ve been able to build with these people, would cherish that. And, all the stories about all of their experiences. It’s funny coz I don’t really remember them. Like you know, winning a race or this, it doesn’t come to your mind a lot of time.”

He added, “The adversities or some of the struggles, or you know fun experiences incorporate things such as relationships. Yeah so, blessed to be a part of the organization, that you know, stand for what it does. And, the way they technically displays, so yeah, enjoy every minute here.”

Gustafson continued, “Yeah it is, it is. It’s very nice to be able to step back and reflect some of the things and jog your memory and look at it, from a bigger view, the bigger perspective, and the bigger body of work. Yeah, you know, it’s nice to have a lot of people who work as hard as I has, in the crew, and in racing. And had to experience way way less. I certainly feel extremely important about that.”

Despite his Bristol outing, Chase Elliott did not have a remarkable start to this season like his teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron. The P8 finish at Bristol is his best so far this season. Other than that, the 2020 champion was not in the Top 10 in the rest Cup Series races. Yet, after having been a part of so many struggles, Alan looks forward to clinching that ‘deserving finish’.

Read More: Chase Elliott’s Crew Chief Hopeful of ‘Deserving Finishes’ Amidst Banking on Refreshed Team Dynamic

The Watkins Glen mishap last season

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Alan Gustafson faced a massive public backlash following a fuel-mileage mishap during the Watkins Glen International race in August 2023. During the third stage, Chase Elliott communicated to his team that he had depleted his fuel and was switching to the reserve tank. Gustafson advised him that after switching to the reserve, he had approximately three laps’ worth of fuel remaining. The plan was for Elliott to run two more laps and then head to the pit road for refueling on the third lap.

Unfortunately, he didn’t manage to reach that point. Elliott ran out of gas nearly half a lap away from the pit road, effectively dashing any hopes of securing a victory. The incident left the #9 team sputtering towards the back, and fans have been vocal about their frustration. They even went a step ahead to ask for his firing from Elliott’s team.

Learning from all the past mistakes, Gustafson has an optimistic approach towards this season. Let us see if this mindset gets converted through Elliott’s performance. A lot will depend on this.

Read More: Amid Public Backlash Against Alan Gustafson, Chase Elliott Reveals Crew Chief’s Stellar Resume