NASCAR Insider Claims Hendrick Motorsports Driver Was Never in the Playoff Contention

Chase Elliott missing the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs is almost like the Dallas Cowboys missing the Super Bowl. Chase Elliott bagged the Cup title in 2020 at the young age of 24. Since then, there have been huge expectations set on the Georgian native. Needless to say, Hendrick Motorsports values Chase Elliott as a team member and looks up to him regarding the future of the #9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

However, that future seemed to get bleaker and bleaker every day since Chase Elliott broke his left leg in a snowboarding accident. Although the speedster himself did not regret his role in this off-court shenanigans, a NASCAR insider vehemently bashed his flawed decision.

Chase Elliott got his mojo messed up, said Kenny Wallace

A wise man once said that practice makes a man perfect. Especially when you are an athlete, playing one of the most high-valued sports in America, practicing becomes a crucial part of your career. And Chase Elliott had to stay away from practice for more than two months. Unfortunately, the downsides to that are now revealing themselves.

Referring to Chase Elliott’s accident, Kenny Wallace said, “That’s where it started.”

According to the former FOX Sports analyst and reporter, Chase Elliott’s journey along the 2023 season has nothing to do with the way he ran the races since he had come back from the break.

He explained, “…when you miss 9 races I don’t care if you are 26 years old, it messes your mojo up.”

“That’s like baseball players, they play every day, they are still in the back taking practice swings, loosening their muscles up,” he added.

Hence, if you ask Kenny Wallace why Chase Elliott missed the playoffs, he would probably say, “I’m gonna blame it all on the skiing accident.”

According to him, both Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott had deliberately ruined their chances of making it into the playoffs by carelessly engaging in non-NASCAR, off-track events like snowboarding and Sprint car racing. Still, they had a change to make it to the playoffs at the last and second last race of the regular season, but unfortunately, luck was not on their side.

While NASCAR fans are blaming Elliott’s new crew chief Alan Gustafson for making a flawed pit call on the 55th lap at Watkins Glen, Kenny Wallace acquitted the possibility of a single race ruining the season for Chase Elliott.

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Retired NASCAR driver rectifies an error in judgement

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It is true that Elliott and the number 9 team have not been able to catch up after the former came back behind the wheels of his blue and white Chevy. Moreover, NASCAR awarded him a penalty for wrecking Denny Hamlin, which kept him out of yet another race.

One would say Chase should have aced at Daytona. Or maybe he should have won at Watkins Glen, considering how good he has been on road courses. But Kenny Wallace found the fault in this argument and admitted, “It’s very hard to say one thing causes everything.”

Despite having flaunted 5 wins last season, while leading 857 laps with an average finish of 12.47, the current year was not that eventful for him. He has not won even once. Kenny Wallace denied that Chase Elliott missed the limelight just at Daytona or Watkins Glen.

Wallace exclaimed, “That’s like one play eliminating a team out of the playoffs, it wasn’t that one play.”

“They should have won the five games earlier in the year,” he added.

Having said that, the pressure on Chase Elliott and his crew chief, Alan Gustafson, is over. Perhaps they can now work together to figure out a way to regain their speed and bring out their A-game in the next 10 races. If he succeeds in getting Mr. H, his most cherished owner’s championship trophy, it could be a tremendous boost in the NASCAR star’s confidence.

Read More: Chase Elliott Could Birth a Resurgence Arc As Relationship With Rick Hendrick’s on the Line