Damage Derails Elliott’s All-Star Race at Dover

• Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Prime Video team qualified 31st for Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway.
• Elliott’s No. 9 Prime Video Chevrolet was collected in a multi-car incident on lap two. However, the damage was minimal enough that Elliott was able to continue after visiting pit road for four scuffed tires.
• The 30-year-old driver opted to bring the No. 9 Chevy to pit road for tires and fuel under the lap-61 caution, restarting 24th in the field.
• With three laps to go in the first segment, Elliott was collected in another multi-car incident, which resulted in the No. 9 Prime Video Chevrolet sustaining too much damage to continue in the event.

Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Prime Video team qualified 31st for Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway. The No. 9 Prime Video Chevrolet showed speed in qualifying, but an issue during the team’s stop in the Pit Crew Challenge relegated Elliott to starting deep in the field.

Trouble struck early in Sunday’s race when Elliott was swept up in a multi-car incident shortly after the green flag. Under the resulting red flag, he brought the No. 9 Prime Video Chevrolet to pit road for damage assessment, reporting that “it doesn’t feel too terrible.” The team identified left-rear damage as well as scraping sustained while sliding through the banking. After discussion of next steps due to limited tire allotment, crew chief Alan Gustafson elected to send Elliott back out on four scuffed tires.

Elliott restarted 30th on lap six and methodically worked through the field, gaining eight positions to move into 22nd. The No. 9 Chevrolet continued to show competitive speed, and when a caution was displayed on lap 61, Elliott reported while running 19th that the car’s balance felt solid. The team opted to pit for four tires and fuel, sending him back onto the track in 24th with six laps remaining in the opening segment. On lap 72, Elliott was collected in another multi-car incident, which ultimately resulted in race-ending damage to the No. 9 Prime Video Chevrolet. Unable to continue in the event, Elliott was scored with a 32nd-place finish in the second segment.

“I think I probably should have stayed out and tried to take a chance, but you’re probably going to be in the mess either way,” Elliott said of his decision to bring the No. 9 to pit road, and how his restarting position impacted his race. “There were a lot of different strategies going on, and unfortunately, I just got caught up in the mess twice and the second one was enough to end our day. I saw them getting together and crashing. Obviously, the straightaway has so much banking here that everything slides to the bottom and that’s where I was. I was trying to work my way back up the hill and I ran into a wall of cars sliding down the track. It’s just part of it.”

Start / Finish: 31 / DNF

Next Race: Sunday, May 24, Charlotte Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 6:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video, SiriusXM or PRN

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