“I’m pretty sure our season’s over,” were the words that no one thought Chase Elliott would say. The Hendrick Motorsports driver’s bid for another championship took a gut punch at the Night Race after coming into contact with John Hunter Nemechek on lap 311. The wreck sent shockwaves through the NASCAR Cup Series, raising serious questions about whether he could still compete in the final race of the Round of 16. And we all saw what unfolded a few laps down. So, can Chase Elliott still recover from the nightmare that Bristol was?

Before we dive into that, let’s dial back a little. At Darlington Raceway, he started 21st but could only manage a 17th-place finish. The Gateway race tested him even more; qualifying a low 19th, Elliott carved his way up to a hard-earned third, snatching vital points along the way. Bristol, however, proved to be a cruel finale. After starting 16th, Elliott’s run was shot by the crash, resulting in a dramatic DNF. Still, thanks to his previous heroics and a little luck from competitors’ misfortunes, Elliott managed to squeeze into the Round of 12. However, the qualifying position matters too, in order to collect some heavy stage points, and the insider circles exactly that.

Speaking on The Teardown podcast, Jeff sounded off on the No. 9 driver’s postseason run, saying, “Starting positions of 21st, 19th, and 16th, and I keep saying this, you don’t qualify well. It’s hard to pass from these places, and you don’t put yourself in the position to get stage points. It’s an uphill battle that’s going to bite you at some point. I agree with you on Elliott.” 

Currently, the 29-year-old sits 7th in the playoff standings with a 5-point advantage over the cutline, and that can only help him so far if he doesn’t pull up his socks in the future races, especially in the qualifying sessions. Bristol marked the first elimination race of the playoffs, and Chase Elliott quickly found himself in the hot seat. Fortunately, no driver had enough points to overtake him outright, but a victory from someone below the cut-off could have instantly ended his 2025 championship hopes. Of the four potential threats, only Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman was in contention.

Alex Bowman didn’t claim the win, allowing Elliott to breathe a little easier, especially after Austin Cindric ran into trouble, which put him back just above the playoff bubble. Cindric, on the other hand, narrowly secured his spot in the next round, finishing just one point short of the cut-off in ninth place. His performance at Bristol included a strong stage to finish, but he ultimately ended the race in 30th place. Both drivers now have a challenge ahead, with the Round of 12 set to commence at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

However, the co-host had other plans for Austin Cindric. Jordan said, “So, okay, so we’re on the same two there, I don’t know, like you’re going to personally; I’m not going to. I know you’re going to say Cindric would be out in this next round. In my pre-playoff predictions, I had him in my final 8, and I’m sticking with it because I think about these tracks again; New Hampshire should be a good track for Penske.” 

However, the stats display a different story. Chase Elliott has long shown he can handle New Hampshire Motor Speedway with finesse. Across his 11 starts at the track, he boasts an impressive average finish of 14.727, including a second-place finish back in July 2022, with three top tens and two top fives to his name. He also starts well, averaging a 9.09 starting position, giving him a solid platform to compete for strong results.

Austin Cindric, on the other hand, has struggled to find his rhythm on the 1-mile oval. His average finish sits at 19, with a best result of just 13th, and he has yet to crack a top 10 or top five at this venue. Combined with an average starting spot of 26.3, Cindric faces an uphill battle to challenge the more consistent Elliott at New Hampshire. And as the Chase Elliott fans defend the No. 9 driver after Bristol, ‘Mr. Popular’ will have no choice but to push through the upcoming races to bring back his 2020 championship title. But for now, Elliott stands for something far more important.

Chase Elliott rallies behind the old NASCAR playoff format

As speculation swells about potential tweaks to NASCAR’s playoff system, Hendrick Motorsports star Chase Elliott is warming up to one of the proposed ideas. Is the rumored format gaining his approval? The 3-3-4 setup  — two rounds of three races each, followed by a four-race finale to crown the champion — is rumored to replace the current 3-3-3-1 structure, where three drivers are eliminated at the end of each round and points are reset for the next.

And as the young ace has his eyes set on his second title, Elliott is backing a change. During media availability on Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway, Elliott said, “I think it would be better than what we have. You just have a larger amount of races to decide (the champion). It would seemingly give an opportunity to have something that’s totally out of somebody’s hands not completely derail their championship day … their shot at Phoenix (the current season finale, although it will move to Homestead-Miami Speedway next year).”

Elliott, son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, knows the format isn’t flawless but likes its potential. He added, “Is it perfect? Probably not, but I would say that it sounds better (than the current format).” The Chevrolet driver captured the NASCAR Cup title in 2020 but has faced ups and downs since, finishing fourth in both 2021 and 2022, missing the playoffs entirely in 2023 after a snowboarding injury sidelined him for seven early-season races, and placing seventh last year.

While NASCAR may still be considering changes to the playoff system, Elliott seems to understand that reviving the old format is likely a pipe dream in today’s high-stakes, modern era of the sport.