NASCAR Most Popular Driver Chase Elliott Misses Playoffs for First Time in Cup Career

Chase Elliott knew he had to win Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona to gain entrance into the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, but when the checkered flag waved, he was three positions short.

Elliott finished fourth in the race and missed the playoffs for the first time in his Cup career, but helped Hendrick Racing's quest for the NASCAR Owners' Championship. Elliott finished 20th in the final regular-season points chase. Bubba Wallace earned the final Playoff spot via points, with Daniel Suarez, Ty Gibbs and Alex Bowman finishing 17th, 18th and 19, respectfully, in the regular-season standings and short of the cut line.

Elliott, named NASCAR's Most Popular Driver each of the past five years, has been a fixture in the Playoffs each of the past seven seasons, and he won the championship in 2020. He's made the Championship 4 field for the last race of the season each of the past three seasons.

“I hate the way the season has gone, but proud to get the car into the owner’s championship,” Elliott says. “It’s a big deal to get in on the owner’s side, so, hopefully, we’ll try and go make some noise on that front.”

Elliott said he felt like the team had an “okay chance,” but runner-up Brad Keselowski and race winner Chris Buescher “just worked so well together.”

“They were so locked-on there,” Elliott says. “They just had a strangle-hold on the top lane. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get to Kevin (Harvick) and stay there like that, and just make the bottom lane work. I kind of bottled it up there and just couldn’t get enough momentum going forward.”

Elliott missed seven of the 26 races in the regular season, including six for a broken leg suffered in a snowboarding accident. He was also suspended one race after NASCAR ruled that he intentionally wrecked Denny Hamlin at a race earlier this season at Charlotte.

Results

NASCAR Cup Series Race - Coke Zero Sugar 400

1. (11) Chris Buescher, Ford, 163.

2. (12) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 163.

3. (2) Aric Almirola, Ford, 163.

4. (23) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 163.

5. (14) Joey Logano, Ford, 163.

6. (31) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 163.

7. (18) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 163.

8. (27) William Byron, Chevrolet, 163.

9. (10) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 163.

10. (37) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 163.

11. (30) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 163.

12. (4) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 163.

13. (39) Michael McDowell, Ford, 163.

14. (26) Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 163.

15. (36) Chandler Smith(i), Chevrolet, 163.

16. (15) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 163.

17. (25) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 163.

18. (24) Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 163.

19. (33) JJ Yeley(i), Ford, 163.

20. (22) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 163.

21. (28) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 163.

22. (29) Josh Berry(i), Chevrolet, 163.

23. (38) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 163.

24. (13) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 163.

25. (20) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 163.

26. (19) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 162.

27. (7) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 161.

28. (3) Harrison Burton, Ford, 160.

29. (17) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 160.

30. (1) Chase Briscoe, Ford, Accident, 156.

31. (9) Ryan Preece, Ford, Accident, 155.

32. (35) Todd Gilliland, Ford, Overheating, 131.

33. (21) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 102.

34. (32) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 96.

35. (5) Ty Gibbs #, Toyota, Accident, 94.

36. (8) Ryan Blaney, Ford, Accident, 94.

37. (16) Austin Cindric, Ford, Accident, 94.

38. (6) Riley Herbst(i), Ford, Accident, 94.

39. (34) Brennan Poole(i), Ford, Accident, 93.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 158.389 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 34 Mins, 22 Secs. Margin of Victory:.098 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 3 for 18 laps.

Lead Changes: 22 among 17 drivers.

Lap Leaders: C. Briscoe 1-22;D. Hamlin 23-34;M. Truex Jr. 35-37;J. Logano 38-46;A. Allmendinger 47-49;C. Elliott 50-51;A. Allmendinger 52-54;R. Chastain 55-57;A. Allmendinger 58-59;R. Chastain 60-75;R. Blaney 76-79;R. Stenhouse Jr. 80;A. Almirola 81-83;H. Burton 84-87;D. Suarez 88;H. Burton 89;K. Busch 90-94;B. Keselowski 95-100;W. Byron 101;M. Truex Jr. 102;C. Briscoe 103-147;K. Harvick 148-161;C. Buescher 162-163.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Chase Briscoe 2 times for 67 laps; Ross Chastain 2 times for 19 laps; Kevin Harvick 1 time for 14 laps; Denny Hamlin 1 time for 12 laps; Joey Logano 1 time for 9 laps; AJ Allmendinger 3 times for 8 laps; Brad Keselowski 1 time for 6 laps; Kyle Busch 1 time for 5 laps; Harrison Burton 2 times for 5 laps; Martin Truex Jr. 2 times for 4 laps; Ryan Blaney 1 time for 4 laps; Aric Almirola 1 time for 3 laps; Chris Buescher 1 time for 2 laps; Chase Elliott 1 time for 2 laps; Daniel Suarez 1 time for 1 lap; William Byron 1 time for 1 lap; Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 19,20,4,54,22,23,2,11,14,99

Stage #2 Top Ten: 6,8,99,48,24,45,9,3,1,22