Despite Declaring Him Rick Hendrick’s “Upper Echelon”, Denny Hamlin Rules Out Chase Elliott Victory in 2023

During the second race of the playoffs at Kansas Speedway, both Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson displayed impressive momentum. Kyle Larson, despite a setback during stage 2 that cost him multiple positions, managed to lead 99 laps and secure a top-5 finish. Meanwhile, his teammate Chase Elliott, who had struggled throughout the season, seemed to have regained his elite form. Leading 47 laps, he started in 4th place and finished in the same position. While Chase Elliott’s championship hopes may have faded, he remains a contender in the race for the owner’s championship, and his need for strong results is evident.

Now, the question on everyone’s mind is whether Chase Elliott can clinch his first victory of the season. Surprisingly, Denny Hamlin provides some intriguing insights and opinions on this matter.

Denny Hamlin unveils a trove of unexpected insights on Chase Elliott

During the “Actions Detrimental” podcast, Denny Hamlin and Jared Allen delved into the incident involving Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson during a late caution, when Larson made contact with the #9 car on pit road. Their conversation then shifted toward Chase Elliott’s notable improvement after a challenging season.

Denny Hamlin shared valuable insight, revealing that a driver receives bonuses based on their finishing position in the points standings, which not only impacts their earnings but also boosts their confidence for the upcoming season. Jared Allen then posed a crucial question to Denny Hamlin: “Do you think he’ll find his way to victory lane before the season’s over?”

Denny took a deep breath and after a small pause, he replied, “I think he’s gonna be be very close but No. I said that cautiously because he’s still drivers for Hendricks motorsports, he’s still Chase Elliott. Like he’s still an upper echelon elite drivers. So, it just seems like they’ve just got off track little bit and a lot of it is use out for while.”

He continued, “And you know it takes a while to get in your rhythm. You know the #11 team, me-Denny Hamlin takes a long time seems like to get going in the season, right? And I just made all the races of this year. So, it’s just one of the things is very unique but the average finish is always been there. For a while this season he’s have the best average finish. So he’s still, he still finds the way to grind the great finishes but I’m seeing him Run better now like he’s average running position, the race #9 car is better now.”

As the discussion progressed, the question arose as to why Chase Elliott was still listed as a playoff driver in the NASCAR-issued qualifying order for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, adding an element of intrigue to the upcoming race.

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Why Chase Elliott was marked as a playoff driver?

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Chase Elliott’s absence from seven races during the season prevented him from securing a spot within the top 16 drivers, effectively eliminating him from contention in the driver’s championship. However, it’s worth noting that the owner’s championship is based on points tied to the cars, not the drivers.

During Chase Elliott’s initial races that he missed, Josh Berry took over his car, and his strong performance, including a runner-up finish at Richmond Raceway in early April, played a crucial role in helping secure the 16th spot in the owner playoffs for Bubba Wallace’s #23 car.

As for whether Chase Elliott can contribute to Rick Hendrick’s quest to win an owner’s championship, it remains to be seen. His involvement and performance in the remaining races could certainly impact Hendrick Motorsports’ chances in the owner’s championship. What do you think, Will Chase Elliott’s performance contribute to Rick Hendrick winning an owner championship?

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