Elliott Finishes 36th after Stage-Two Multicar Incident at Talladega

• Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team qualified 18th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
• Like the majority of the field, Elliott was in fuel-saving mode for the first half of stage one. After pitting for four tires and fuel on lap 50, he tried to make moves to earn stage points before ultimately taking the green-and-white checkered flag in 16th.
• During stage two, Elliott was racing toward the front of the field when a multicar incident unfolded ahead of him. He had nowhere to go and was collected, sustaining damage and suffering four flat tires in the process. Elliott returned to the race several laps down after the team made repairs to the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet.
• Elliott ended the race in 36th. He now sits 12th in the Cup Series standings, 218 points behind the leader with two races remaining.
• The 30-year-old driver earned a bonus point for the fastest lap of the race with a time of 47.546 seconds on lap 73.

Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team qualified 18th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. From the drop of the green flag, Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet showed strength. The field quickly spread out into three lanes, and Elliott raced in the top lane, moving solidly into the top 10 by lap two. The bottom lane began to fizzle out on lap five as much of the field returned to two lanes. As the run progressed, Elliott was told to do what he could to save more fuel. He did his best to conserve fuel while maintaining a position inside the top 20 before dropping toward the back. After pitting under green for four fresh tires and fuel on lap 50, crew chief Alan Gustafson informed him that he was in a better position on fuel than originally believed. Elliott returned to the top 20, running 12th with 20 laps remaining in the stage. He continued to make moves to try to advance before ultimately finishing the first stage in 16th on lap 98.

After pitting for four tires and fuel, Elliott was 12th to choose his lane for the start of stage two, opting for the inside of row six. He moved to the top lane on lap 110 and continued to run inside the top 16. When a third lane began to form on lap 126, Elliott joined it. Three lanes quickly turned into four as the racing grew increasingly hectic. The field returned to three-wide racing on lap 128, and Elliott remained up top. He was near the front of the field when a multicar incident unfolded just ahead of him. Unfortunately, he had nowhere to go and was collected in the incident. His No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet sustained damage and suffered four flat tires. Elliott was towed to the garage for repairs before returning to the race several laps down in 38th. He improved to 36th to end the race, his highest possible finishing position.

The 30-year-old driver earned a bonus point for the fastest lap of the race with a time of 47.546 seconds on lap 73. Elliott now sits 12th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, 218 points behind the leader with two races remaining this season.

Start / Finish: 18 / 36
Points Standing / Total: 12th / 2,223 pts. (-218)

Next Race: Sunday, November 1, Martinsville Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 2:00 p.m. ET on NBC, SiriusXM or MRN

NAPA: @NAPARacing
Chase Elliott: @ChaseElliott
Hendrick Motorsports: @TeamHendrick
No. 9 Team: @Hendrick9Team