Can Top Crew Chief’s Experience Help Chase Elliott Progress Towards a Title Run?

Chase Elliott is regarded as a highly talented driver in the NASCAR circuit. This season saw Elliott teaming up with Crew Chief Alan Gustafson in the Hendrick Motorsports team. Having gotten to know him over the past few years, Gustafson believes that Elliott is capable of winning a championship.

According to the veteran Crew Chief, there is a simplistic formula for getting into the final round of the Playoffs. All that Elliott has to do is win in every segment of the coming races to ensure the No. 9 Chevrolet qualifies.

“I think Chase is in a great position to be able to succeed,” Gustafson said. “I feel like there are a couple years, certainly last year stands out, that we were in a great position to make it to the Championship 4. In the Round of 8, we had some unforced errors and issues that got us out.”

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Why is Alan Gustafson so sure about Chase Elliott?

The veteran Crew Chief knows that the primary target is to get to the final race. He also has a lot of faith in Chase Elliott to achieve that objective. Gustafson also believes that Elliott has very few weaknesses, and the team needs to exploit that to bring out the best in him.

Truthfully, Gustafson knows what he is talking about since he recorded the second-most Playoffs appearances. With 13 appearances and nine playoff wins under his belt, he can truly help Chase Elliott shine.

They know that they have a good team on their side, especially the pit crew. The crew has worked wonders on many occasions to place Elliott in favorable positions.

In the first playoff race at Darlington, Elliott looked like one of the favorites to win, but he got tagged and hit the wall. As a result, he tumbled down the order to 20th. Luckily, he recorded a Top-5 finish at Richmond.

“I do think when you get down to the end, you got to win – that’s a huge part of being able to move on is to win,” Gustafson concluded. “When you look at the guys who usually make it, they start with a bunch of bonus points and they have the ability to win.”