On-Track Incident Forces Elliott’s Early End to Coca-Cola 600

• After rain washed out practice and qualifying on Saturday, and the Coca-Cola 600 was postponed to Monday afternoon, Chase Elliott started the race from the sixth position as per the rulebook.
• Elliott finished the first stage in the 15th position, and his team worked on improving the balance of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. In the second stage, while he was running in 12th, green-flag pit stops began. Elliott stayed out on the track longer than other cars, taking over the lead. The No. 9 team made a pit stop on lap 154 for four tires and fuel, but rain shortly after led to a red flag.
• When the rain stopped and the red flag was lifted, some teams pitted for fresh tires. However, Elliott stayed out on the track and restarted in the fifth position. He continued to race within the top 10 and was battling for position when his Chevrolet made hard contact with the wall, triggering a multi-car incident that brought out the caution on lap 186. The damage was too severe for the NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet to continue, resulting in Elliott finishing in 34th place at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

A weekend full of rain washed out practice and qualifying, forcing NASCAR to set the starting lineup according to the rulebook for the Coca-Cola 600. The rain continued into Sunday evening, postponing the 400-lap race to Monday afternoon. Chase Elliott rolled off the grid from the sixth position in the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. After dropping back to 14th on lap five, the 27-year-old driver maneuvered his way to 12th by lap 20. He relayed to his team that his No. 9 Chevrolet’s balance was good in turns three and four, and he was figuring out how to get through turns one and two better. A few laps later, Elliott added that the right rear was a little stiff.

When the competition caution flag waved on lap 35, crew chief Alan Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments for the NAPA Chevrolet. A fast stop by the No. 9 pit crew gained Elliott four spots on pit road, and he lined up in ninth for the restart on lap 41. As the run went on, Elliott reported that his Chevrolet was too free, and when a caution came out on lap 74, he was scored 15th. The team made another stop for fresh tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion restarted in 11th place and fought hard in the closing laps of the first stage, ending it in 15th on lap 100.

Elliott brought his Chevrolet to the attention of his crew for four tires and fuel during the stage break. The driver of the No. 9 lined up 12th to start the second stage on lap 107. He powered his way as high as 10th and was scored 12th when green flag stops got underway on lap 144. Gustafson kept Elliott out on the track, and he took over the lead on lap 148 before making his way to pit road on lap 154. After the stop, Elliott got back out on the track in the 17th position. Just two laps later, the caution flag waved for mist over the top of the track. As the rain picked up, the red flag was displayed, and the cars were stopped on pit road.

Once the rain subsided and the track dried, the race went back under the caution flag. Several cars came to pit road, but Elliott, who was on fresher tires, stayed out on the track. He restarted in fifth on lap 164 and continued to race inside the top 10. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native was battling for position when his Chevrolet made hard contact with the wall, triggering a multi-car incident that brought out the caution on lap 186. The NAPA Chevrolet was too damaged to continue, and Elliott was relegated to a 34th-place finish in the 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“Our No. 9 NAPA Chevy was getting better,” Elliott said. “It was nice to be making some gains there throughout the race. Our pit stops were really good. We had some pretty good fortune to get up towards the front there. It was just trying to get to mile 600 and have a shot. Unfortunately, failed to do that again.”

Start / Finish: 6 / 34
Points Standing / Total: 29th / 215 (-231)

Next Race: Sunday, June 4, WWT Raceway
How to Watch or Listen: 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM

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