NASCAR Insider Puts Chase Elliott’s Biggest Bane to the Test Ahead of Triple Header at Homestead Miami

Published 10/21/2023, 1:11 PM EDT

Chase Elliott was visibly disheartened after finishing 3rd on the streets of Chicago, with his place in the play-offs still uncertain | Courtesy: Getty

Everybody knows about how Chase Elliott’s 2023 season got ruined after a 6-race-long hiatus earlier this year. However, his fans know that the 27-year-old Georgian is pulling no punches in putting up a strong show for the owner’s championship. It seems like Elliott and Alan Gustafson are finding their lost mojo back again.

However, luck hasn’t always favored Elliott since he was handed a 1-race suspension for wrecking Denny Hamlin during the Coca-Cola 600. Even in the last race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it was heartbreaking to see the 2020 Cup Series champion getting ousted from the battle owing to a laid-back start penalty. And now, when he’s about to make his start at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which is hosting all three races across NASCAR’s top tiers, an insider revealed how Elliott’s luck with Goodyear could prove detrimental to his winning contention.

Chase Elliott’s biggest challenge could show up at the wrong moments

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Being the penultimate race of the round of 8, the stakes are extremely high at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It is safe to say that most expect it to all come down to a face-off between Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing. However, racing on this 1.5-mile intermediate oval of NASCAR might be a trouble for most drivers on the grid.

Resting on the shores of Biscayne Bay, the Homestead-Miami track sees a lot of sand. When the tires rub against the coarse sand at high speeds, they are more likely to wear off easily. On that note, everyone knows how Goodyear has failed Chase Elliott before. Taking all of these into consideration, Elliott is likely to face issues with his tires at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Moreover, the grip on the tires seems to fall significantly if something as slippery and abrasive as sand comes into play. In a recent conversation with NBC’s pit reporter Kim Coon, Parker Kligerman said, “You could fall off 3-4 seconds in a run from your fastest lap to the end of the run when you’re running some of the slowest laps. So that grip and the lack of it goes away so quickly makes it a place that you just have to adjust to constantly.”

According to him, the corners are quite elongated, especially around turns 1 and 2, which might be challenging for the drivers. On top of that, the track has several grooves that are far apart from each other. Kilgerman said, “When you look at the distance between the top to the bottom, it’s a distance game at times as to why the bottom worked versus the top. You can find your car working in any of those lanes because of the variable banking and then, lastly, the tire wear is high.”

Watch this story: NASCAR Community Holds Tony Stewart Guilty as Chase Elliott Takes HMS Across the Line

Looking at how Chase Elliott’s luck betrays him at the most decisive moments, will Sunday be a replication of what happened back in Michigan in August? The #9 team hopes not.

Less than a month after Goodyear tires’ quality check, Chase Elliott fell prey to the trusted brand

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Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. announced that it would hire three directors with Elliott Investment Management when Chase Elliott called for changes to improve the company’s financial status. The investment firm is one of the biggest sources of money for Goodyear and hence, they agreed to refresh their board, sell their stores, and launch a quality check procedure.

Tire makers at Goodyear have been under constant pressure due to the resurgence of their cheaper Chinese rivals. Moreover, Elliott’s firm had previously criticized Goodyear for lagging behind its competitors Michelin and Bridgestone.

However, with the actions taken to strengthen its hold on the market, both Elliott’s and Goodyear were happy. According to Reuters, Chase Elliott said, “We have been encouraged by Goodyear’s openness to taking actions necessary to realize its full potential.” It was ironic that Elliott’s tires blew off during a race just a couple of weeks later.

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A right-rear tire failure on lap 35 of the Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, made the Chevy star hit the wall and ultimately, settle for a 36th-place finish. Only time will tell if Goodyear fails Chase Elliott yet again this week.

Despite His Exit, Chase Elliott Stays Integral to Rick Hendricks in the Playoffs

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Written by:

Soumyadeep Saha is a NASCAR Author at EssentiallySports. Holding a Master's degree in English literature from a top-tier university, he has always had a great affinity for writing. In the past couple of years, he has channeled his love and commitment for stock cars into building a career path in the arena of Motorsports Journalism.

Edited by:

Nischal Kandpal

NASCAR Insider Puts Chase Elliott’s Biggest Bane to the Test Ahead of Triple Header at Homestead Miami

Chase Elliott’s biggest challenge could show up at the wrong moments

Less than a month after Goodyear tires’ quality check, Chase Elliott fell prey to the trusted brand

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