The curtain is drawing close on the regular season with just three acts left. And so is the 2023 Cup Series season for NASCAR’s Golden Boy. A series of unfortunate track events and medical setbacks have been the spoilsport for Chase Elliott’s 2023 campaign, thrusting him into the dusk of the regular season with nothing substantial to bank on. In this 11th-hour scenario, a revered legend of the NASCAR community shoots straight answers to lift the fog over Elliott.   

Currently manning the cockpit of the #9 Hendrick Motorsports vehicle, Elliot has been relegated to the 22nd position in the drivers’ leaderboard, trailing the cut-off by 55 points. Amid such times of uncertainties, NBC broadcaster and 1999 Cup champion cast his seasoned insights into Elliott’s prospects in the final trilogy of races.

Statistical hopes vs. ground realities: Dale Jarett says it’s time to get real

As the NASCAR season speeds toward its grand finale, the spotlight shines brightly on the frontrunners, the unexpected contenders, and the rookies. Yet, the die-hard Chase Elliott brigade clings to the belief that he might pull a rabbit out of his hat on the racetrack and clinch a playoff spot.

It’s not just the fans, even the corridors of NASCAR are abuzz with speculations about Elliott’s fate in the forthcoming regular-season races. In a recent tête-à-tête, the esteemed NASCAR pit reporter, Kim Coon, didn’t pull any punches to opine that while, in theory, Elliott stands a chance, every star would need to align for his team—a spectacle they’ve scarcely witnessed this season, going so far as to declare, “I don’t think he wins over the next three races.”

Echoing this sentiment, NASCAR stalwart Dale Jarrett weighed in, stating, “There’s nothing telling me that this team is ready to go win a race.” Though he acknowledged a strategic masterstroke might be Elliott’s saving grace, Jarrett’s reservations were clear:

“I just haven’t seen anything before the injury, after the injury, before the suspension for the one race, and even after that, there just hasn’t been the speed and enough ability shown to compete up-front.”

Yet, in a twist of hope, Jarrett believed that Elliott’s ace in the hole might be the wild card race at Daytona, potentially leading him into the playoffs. While Jarrett’s words carry the weight of his NASCAR legacy, he and his cohort went on to deliberate on other potential playoff entrants, pondering Elliott’s odds to finish in the prestigious top-16.

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One man’s folly is another man’s fortune  

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When Dustin Long ventured into uncharted waters by speculating on potential victors at Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, and Daytona, Kim Coon and Dale Jarrett dropped quite a few bombshells with their predictions. Jarrett served up a fresh slice of insight, while Coon played her cards, tipping SVG for Indianapolis, AJ Allmendinger for Watkins Glen, and an erstwhile champion for Daytona. Jarrett elucidated,

“I think I am going to AJ Allmendinger at Indy. I just think that his skills there are really good; he has won this race before. There’s a real possibility that we see someone like Brad Keselowski maybe win at Watkins Glen. This has been a place where he performed well over the years.”

And well, ever the eternal optimist, Jarrett wrapped up his forecasts with a ray of hope for the Elliott faithful, remarking, “I am a huge Chase Elliott fan; it’d be great for our most popular driver to be a part of the playoffs if he somehow finds a way to win at Daytona in the last race before the playoff starts.”

With such expert conjectures, the stage is set for a nail-biting series of races where every twist and turn promises to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. As the clock ticks, it will definitely be intriguing to see who emerges victorious, given that pundits are split in their crystal ball readings.

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