Chase Elliott‘s remarkable reign last year, culminating in his triumph as the regular-season champion, stands in stark contrast to his current struggles. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 finds himself far from replicating his previous season’s success.

No one anticipated that the 2020 Cup Series champion would face such difficulties in securing a postseason spot. As we have approached the New Hampshire race weekend, expectations have already dwindled given Elliott’s challenges during practice and qualifying sessions, which even he acknowledged during an interview.

Chase Elliott’s uphill battle to qualify in New Hampshire

Hovering just beyond the playoff cutoff line, Elliott has been plagued by a series of setbacks, including injuries and penalties. It appears that his struggles persist, with no end in sight.

During a recent media interaction, the HMS driver candidly discussed his current woes in New Hampshire, expressing his belief that winning without an abundance of luck on his side is highly unlikely.

When questioned about his track record at this venue, the 2020 Cup Series champion responded by saying that the track hasn’t been kind to him.

Downplaying his achievement of finishing here in 2nd last year, He said, “We ran good up here last year, and I wasn’t really sure why, to be honest. So we had actually, believe it or not, had a good test here a month and a half, a couple of months ago, whenever that was. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be helping us much for today.”

Besides that, Elliott also answered questions regarding the changing of tires from last year, and if it could be a factor hindering his performance. He said, “I thought, I think, that we tested a tire that was much like what they ended up bringing back, and all the drivers really like that tire, myself included.”

In the qualifying run for the upcoming race, Elliott received a big blow as he managed only the 18th fastest time. This string of underwhelming finishes in the last nine races has undoubtedly shaken his confidence. How do you think he could do in his tenth attempt?

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Dale Earnhardt Jr sets high expectations for Chase Elliott’s journey to the NASCAR playoffs

Chase Elliott endured a dreadful weekend, losing five valuable points at the Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Quaker State 400 and settling for 13th place. Nevertheless, Earnhardt remains optimistic, suggesting that if Elliott can amass nine points in each of the upcoming races, his chances of making it to the playoffs are still within reach.

In a recent episode of his podcast, Dale Jr Download, Earnhardt delved into the topic of Chase Elliott’s potential inclusion in this season’s playoffs. He expressed his belief that Elliott cannot afford another lackluster performance like the one he had in Atlanta.

Junior also shared insights from his conversations with Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton during their commentary duties. Earnhardt revealed that he has always been a proponent of Chase earning his spot through points.

He said, “I’m a believer that Chase points his way in; I always felt that way.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. maintains that Chase Elliott can achieve it through points. Although this past weekend’s performance hindered his chances a bit, the former Cup Series Champion still has faith that Chase can make a strong push for a playoff berth.

Nevertheless, NASCAR fans are eagerly rooting for Chase Elliott to reclaim his stellar form and get in his consecutive top 5 performance zone once more, for sure.

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