Chase Elliott won the Xfinity 500 from Martinsville Speedway on Sunday afternoon to lock himself into the Championship round.
Elliott came into the race below the Playoff cutline needing a win to advance to the championship race. Elliott came out swinging, and led 236 of 500 laps on his way to a dominant victory to lock him into the season finale.
Elliott said the victory was the missing piece to his team contending for a championship for the past few years.
“Biggest win ever for us,” Elliott said. “To be backed in a corner like that and have to win tonight, I feel like that’s what we’ve been missing these past four or five years.”
Elliott led throughout the race, but a late pit miscue almost cost him a shot at the victory. Elliott’s jackman jumped over the wall too soon, but was able to touch the pit wall to reset himself. NASCAR originally penalized Elliott, but it was rescinded upon further review.
Elliott said the team was able to adjust on the car to help it drive better to get back to the lead.
“I didn’t think our car was driving as good there at the end as it was at the beginning of the race,” Elliott said. “Those last couple pit stops…made some really good changes and had a good pit stop on that last one.”
“I feel like we’ve had the group to do this, we just have to go and make it happen; we did tonight.”
While Elliott celebrated, Kevin Harvick saw his championship hopes come to an end. The nine-time winner and regular season champion struggled all day and finished 17th, eight points out of the final round. Coming to the checkered flag and in need of a single point, Harvick spun Kyle Busch to try and gain one position. After spinning himself, Harvick found himself on the outside looking in.
Harvick said regular-season success no longer means a simple road to the championship.
“These championships aren’t winning like Petty and Earnhardt used to win them,” Harvick said. “You have to put them together three weeks at a time and it comes down to one race.”
“Not a great three weeks; didn’t go our way and we fought for everything we had. It just came up short.”
Following the race on Sunday, Alex Bowman, Martin Truex Jr. and Kurt Busch joined Harvick as the four drivers eliminated from Playoff contention.
The Cup Series season ends next Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, and Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski will join Elliott as the four drivers eligible for the Cup Series Championship.
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