The struggle for the playoffs for Chase Elliott has ended, albeit not in the manner he would’ve liked. The 2020 champion needed to summon one of the best performances to ensure he snuck into the final 16. Although things didn’t entirely end in his favor, many factors certainly worked against him coming into Daytona.

The season has been a forgettable one for Elliott. Injuries and suspensions have been a major cause of his woes, forcing him to miss a large number of races from the regular schedule. However, things continued to worsen, especially the week before at Watkins Glen, where he was supposed to be a contender to win.

Arriving at Daytona on the back of a massive blunder was already too much on Elliott’s plate, as he fell short yet again.

The alarming blunder that left Chase Elliott out of contention at the Glen

Chase’s experience in the bubble battle was something he was unprepared for. With a decent number of races on their hands, the #9 team wasn’t thought of as one to struggle with winning a race. But as the season progressed, even when there were three races left until the completion of the playoff window, fans and experts deemed Elliott to be a frontrunner on the bubble.

Most of the belief in him was based on the evidence Elliott has provided over the years on road courses. He came close to making the dream come true with a second-place finish at Indianapolis, where he had to settle behind Michael McDowell. This definitely added momentum to their cause, boosting their confidence before the final road course race of the season, The Glen.

With Watkins Glen and the last road course race of the season in the background, the stage was set for the 27-year-old to shine. But in a tragic twist to their fate, Elliott had to suffer the consequences of a glaring blunder by his team that left his car out of gas on the 55th lap and triggered the race’s first caution.

The unwanted proceeding underlined the effects of the intense pressure on the team and the gaps in communication as well. Even crew chief Alan Gustafson called it an issue of ‘bad information’ on the team radio as he asked his driver to continue driving until he hit the reserve fuel switch.

With the expectation of making the fuel last for 1-2 more laps, Gustafson decided to play the longer game, but alas, a miscalculation meant the Camaro was left gasping for fuel.

Read More: “It’s Going to Be a Tough Tax” – NASCAR Legend Reveals the Harsh Reality of Chase Elliott’s Failed 2023 Campaign

After such a blunder, one would have expected Chase Elliott and co. to approach the season finale with more caution. Although the pit crew played their part well and nicely, this time it was Elliott’s fault in his decision-making that cost him his chance.

“I hate it”: Elliott is unhappy with a fault in judgment at Daytona

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Pointing his way in, Chase demanded that he deliver on the big occasion. With the tension rising. Chase and his partner Alex Bowman tried their best to steer clear of the Fords that stood between them and the lead with valiant efforts. Finishing fourth and sixth, the Hendrick Motorsports duo crashed out of the season in an unexpected manner, leaving behind many questions.

After missing out on the playoffs for the first time in his career, now the only solace for Elliott will be to help his team in their bid to win the team owner championship in the inconsequential 10 races. Elliott made his final pit stop on the 146th lap with excellent timing in the pit lane to gain positions and charge into contention for a win. Around the same time, Ryan Preece’s horror wreck brought out the caution flag and forced the race into overtime.

Elliott used this to his advantage, restarting the race in the second row. However, he couldn’t make full use of the situation as he missed out on the bumper of #4 Kevin Harvick, who led him throughout. Had Elliott managed to use the aerodynamic draft more effectively, he could have slingshotted himself up to the RFK Racing cars. To his surprise, his thoughts didn’t materialize, and he couldn’t hold on to the precious position he had worked so hard to come into.

Watch This Story: Chase Elliott apologizes to Rick Hendrick and team for losing, after being confused by HMS’ decision 

After the race, Elliott shared his emotions about the race with the media. Voicing his displeasure, he said, “So I hate it. I hate the way that this worked out. I can’t change it now. We’ve been trying to fight through it, and we came up short. So that’s life sometimes. So I do think we’ll be better for this on the other end somewhere.”

The #9 suffered a massive blow, without a doubt. His exclusion from the last 16 also hurts Rick Hendrick, who was hoping to see all of his drivers in the playoffs as he usually does. But as of now, they will gear up for the next season and have a go again.