(Photo: Blake Ulino | The Podium Finish)
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Most drivers have said that the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are wide open.
But, there’s one driver who enters the playoffs well above the rest.
With four wins and a series-high 17 top 10s, Chase Elliott is in pursuit of his second Cup title in three seasons.
Though Elliott is fresh off winning the regular-season championship, he feels the ceiling is even higher for the team in the playoffs.
“I feel like we’re in a good place. I think we could be better for sure,” Elliott said on playoff media day. “I think we’re in a solid spot mentally and in a position where we’ve learned some lessons that we can apply going forward.
“Just because we have a win more than other people doesn’t mean other people aren’t capable of winning or having a really good day. You have to respect the whole field. There are a lot of really talented drivers and a lot of really smart people working at these teams.”
Elliott’s four victories have come in a variety of ways. He won a pair of rain-affected races at Dover and Nashville, and in July, he won at Atlanta, his hometown track, as well as at Pocono after the top two finishers were disqualified.
Elliott has a total of 40 playoff points — 15 more than Joey Logano, who finished the regular season in second place. He’ll go into each round with a buffer, starting this weekend in the Round of 16 at Darlington.
However, he isn’t overlooking the fact he is the No. 1 seed on the playoff grid.
“I don’t think anybody is safe at any point in time,” Elliott said. “You have to respect this format from Week One all the way to Week 10. I don’t think there is ever a period of time where you should think anything is taken for granted. No amount of playoff points is ever safe. Each round is so short. You could have two bad weeks back-to-back and do nothing wrong.
“We’ve never been in that position before. This is a good thing. I’d love us to put ourselves in that position more often year after year. It means you’ve probably had more fun that year. It also means you’re trying to hedge your bet. Nothing is guaranteed but it can certainly help.”
(Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
But to make it to Phoenix for a shot at another championship, he’ll have to survive threats from other hungry drivers. Ross Chastain, arguably the biggest surprise this season, has a pair of victories. Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson is looking to defend his title, while Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick and others are in the mix.
With 16 different winners in the regular season, the Next Gen car has created more unpredictability amongst the field. Most full-time drivers have been in contention for a victory at some point this season and that variability will likely continue into the playoffs.
“I definitely think it’s competitive,” Elliott said. “Look at how many people have won. That’s never happened. I think that answers the question in itself. Any of the guys in this 16 and even those who didn’t make the 16 could go and win more than one race in the last 10.
“I’m going to try and control the things that are in my hands and do the best I can with that. The only way to control things like that is to be out front. If you’re out front, you don’t have to worry about the mess. That’s the best way to navigate all those things. Sometimes things are just going to be out of your hands.”
But, Elliott will have some work to do if he wants to start the playoffs on the right foot. He qualified 23rd for Sunday’s playoff opener at Darlington, but he’s had some success there. He’s scored three top-fives in 11 races and nearly won the Southern 500 two years ago before late contact with Martin Truex Jr. derailed his hopes.
“You have to find the balance of the fast lane being around the wall – which is a difficult place to live all night for 500 miles,” Elliott said. “It becomes a tale of two races the more I’ve done it and the more I’ve been a part of the race. In my opinion, it almost feels longer than the 600 for some reason. It feels like you’ve been racing for two days. You start in the daytime and end late at night.
“Balancing the event is probably the most important piece of going to Darlington; then making sure you have a car that’s put together that you haven’t bounced off the wall a bunch for those last 100 miles.”
Sunday’s race at Darlington is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on USA Network. Kansas and Bristol will follow in the Round of 16.
