Chase Elliott After Practically Successful 2026 Daytona 500: 'This actually sucks'

[ad_1] Chase Elliott might see the end line of the 2026 Daytona 500. He was working up entrance and toes away from taking his first checkered flag in The Nice American Race on Sunday. He was in good place — till he wasn't.

When the white flag flew signaling the final lap of the NASCAR Cup Collection season-opening race, Elliott within the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was working tenth amid a number of three-wide rows. However as race leaders Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell and Erik Jones started wrecking, a path opened for Elliott on the skin lane.

As they exited Flip 2, Elliott and Zane Smith within the No. 38 Entrance Row Motorsports Ford behind him had momentum, and Elliott cruised down the backstrech out entrance.

"I am probably not certain what occurred with the primary wreck," Elliott informed FOX Sports activities' Josh Sims after the race. "That is a bit of additional round. However we ended up sort of getting gifted the lead, and [No.] 38 and I had bought out by ourselves down the again.

"He had given me a great shove off into [Turn] 3, after which it was sort of simply he and I. And at that time I simply felt momentum shift, like there was going to be one other run coming behind us there in some unspecified time in the future. Sadly, that was correct."

Within the remaining two turns, Tyler Reddick popped out from behind Smith and located the skin lane behind Elliott, who threw a block to keep up the lead.

However when Reddick within the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota slid all the way down to the within lane to battle Elliott for the lead, the vehicles behind them started wrecking.

They collected NASCAR's Most Well-liked Driver, as Reddick took the checkered flag, delivering a win for group homeowners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, who completed thirty first within the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Elliott was credited with a fourth-place end.

"At that time limit, you are simply on protection," Elliott informed Sims. "Man, that is a extremely, actually powerful place to be, in truth. Clearly, wanting again, you'll be able to run it via your thoughts 1,000 occasions — do you do one thing totally different? I really feel like if I had thrown a double block on [Reddick], most likely would have simply crashed us at that time limit.

"So I felt such as you needed to choose your battles. I assumed perhaps if any person would choose me up on the highest, you might need yet another run to the road, however sadly ended up getting circled. … This actually sucks to be that shut and are available off Flip 4 with the lead and never end it off. However that is a part of this occasion, and sadly we had been on the unhealthy finish of it as we speak."