The year hasn’t been easy for any racer, and Chase Elliott certainly hasn’t had it easy. Every new race has brought challenges, and we’ve seen many drivers succumb to the hurdles while some have pushed themselves to a new height. As we’ve checked many races on the list that come to blow our minds, the NASCAR predictions for the upcoming year look promising.
Since Dover, after winning his first race, Elliot has been chasing the win, and after finishing 5th, he had multiple bad results that threatened his championship title. He finished 29th, 33rd, and 21st in the three consecutive races before getting a top 10 finish in Sonoma, where he was eight on the log.
After that, things started looking good for the 26-year-old as we prepared for Nashville. And as per usual, Nashville came with its problems. The weather was a problem in Nashville, making it hard to continue the race. Therefore, we had a pushback, and the team had to wait until Sunday night to continue.
The Ally 400 race came with two lengthy delays because of weather issues. Therefore, forcing the second half of the event to Sunday Night. And it was a blessing in disguise for Elliot as he survived a late-race caution and won at the Superspeedway in Nashville.
As a result, Elliot takes home a Gibson Guitar to commensurate a job well done in a harsh situation.
During the race, Elliot was in the lead and comfortably so. However, Josh Bilicki blew an engine with only nine laps left, setting up a late-race caution and a frantic finish. But thanks to the decision by the team to stay out under caution, Elliot used the final four-lap to get to the finish line.
How the Race Ended – Top Five Places
The race was enjoyable despite the enormous challenges that came with it. We endured many exciting turnovers, and it was an epic ride. Therefore, it is one of the races that will go down to the record books for this year, and Chase Elliot’s name would be at the top.
With Elliot taking the first position, Kurt Busch ended the night in second place, with Ryan Blaney having the best recovery on Sunday night, taking him up to third. Finally, Kyle Larson, one of the favorites going into the race, took fourth, and Ross Chastain ended the night in fifth place, despite an excellent start.
Beating Gibbs
The position at the track was essential at the Ally 400 race, and the Joe Gibbs team was fortunate for the first 200 laps. Martin Truex Jr. was in control, taking the opening two stages of the race. Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin also had their chances to lead the races that night, so Hendrick Motorsports seemed like they would be having a rough night.
It started with William Byron falling off after a quick sequence that followed the initial weather delay. Meanwhile, Alex Bowman crashed in TurnTwo after being turned by Corey LaJoie. However, Elliot and Larson remained quiet through the afternoon. But when nighttime came, it was time for Elliot.
He took advantage of the situation and ran down Busch to take the lead. That started the battle to end the race as Elliot took control for the final 50 laps. It still came with challenges, but that final push was enough for Elliot to stick to the landing.
Challenges and Overcoming Them
At first, there were concerns about the heat as the temperature leading up to the race was in the high 90s. Therefore, the extreme temperatures took a toll on the drivers.
However, the races started under threatening skies, and we had two delays. The first was because of a lightning strike in the area, forcing the race to enter a holding pattern.
Afterward, we had the second after the heavy rain started, coupled with lightning hitting the track before we got to the halfway point. After the storm passed, we got the race pushed back to the night, and at the time, we longer had to worry about the heat affecting the drivers, and we had one of the best races of the year.
Some Interesting Records From the Ally 400 Race
The win at the Ally 400 race saw Elliot move to number 55 on the all-time win list as he tied Ernie Irvan, and if Elliot can get two more wins, he’s going to 52 to join Curtis Turner, Kyle Larson, and Marvin Panch. After coming seventh, Austin Cindric got his first top-10 finish since he won at the Daytona 500.
Bubba Wallace was another fortunate driver on Sunday after securing his best finish since Kansas, although he was unlucky to finish outside the top 10. He went from 30th to sixth in the race’s first half before getting handed some pit road miscues and an ill-timed caution, taking him outside the top 10. But he was able to salvage a 12th-place finish better than his recent races.
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