Crew Chief Reveals the Turning Point for Chase Elliott on His Way to the NASCAR Cup Series Title

It was a fantastic 2020 Cup Series season for Chase Elliott. The Hendrick Motorsports No.9 faced a number of highs and lows over the course of 38 races, but eventually emerged victorious at the end of it all.

One would do well to point out that it was not the greatest start to the year for Elliott. The traditional opener Daytona 500, did not prove to be eventful for the man from Dawsonville.

Finishing 17th in the race, Chase was obviously disappointed with the outcome. But, that only served as motivation for him to gain momentum, said his crew chief Alan Gustafson. Later, when Elliott returned to Daytona, this time on the road course, he dominated to win after a bit of a winless run.

Chase Elliott was able to get ‘hot’ again at the end of the season

Speaking to the official website, Gustafson is quoted as saying, “I feel like there was a turning point. I feel like we’ve been there, really, from Daytona on. We had a chance to win a DAYTONA 500 and things didn’t work out for us.”

Following the race at Daytona, Elliott secured a few more Top 5 finishes. But it was his convincing race victory at Charlotte that really laid the foundation before he finished in the Top 10 five out of the last six races close to the end of the regular season.

“We’ve been in contention to win races all year long. … (We) had a little slump in the summer, but we were able to overcome that and get hot back again at the end of the season,” concluded Gustafson in the interview.

Elliott went on a strong run

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Even after the regular season, most of the work had to be done during the last four rounds going into the Playoffs. And what worked in Elliott’s favor, was a brilliant finish in the business end of the championship campaign.

“He’s won and he’s lost, and he’s done everything in between. I think that’s the difference. He’s Just much more confident and assertive in his decision-making process and how he wants to go about things.” stated Elliott’s crew chief.

Elliott will definitely start as favorite for next year’s Cup Series season as well. But, he might emphasize the importance on starting well in the initial races, for that could set up a solid foundation ahead of another successful year.

READ MORE – “Incredible Outcome” – Dale Earnhardt Jr Lauds Chase Elliott for Attaining Prestigious NASCAR Double Feat