NASCAR CUP SERIES
COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY PLAYOFFS MEDIA DAY
SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – ROTATION TRANSCRIPT:
WITH THE REGULAR SEASON THAT KEVIN HARVICK AND DENNY HAMLIN HAVE PUT TOGETHER AND THE BONUS POINTS THAT THEY HAVE OVER EVERYBODY ELSE, DOES IT FEEL LIKE IT’S ALMOST A BATTLE TO GET TWO SPOTS IN THE FINAL FOUR INSTEAD OF ALL FOUR BEING WIDE-OPEN?
“Not necessarily. Those guys have certainly had a phenomenal year for sure. They’re very deserving of their bonus points and all the things they’ve acquired. But yeah we race for a reason and heck, who knows? There are so many variables and things that can happen. They have an abundance of points, for sure. And, are they likely to go to Phoenix? Absolutely. Do I think they deserve to be in the final four? Yes, I do. I think they definitely deserve to be. But the way this points deal is, you can have a bad couple of races or a bad few stages and the next thing you know, guys have made up 30 or 40 points on you pretty quick. So, it can certainly shift gears in a hurry.”
WHO IS A ‘DARK HORSE’ OR A ‘SURPRISE TEAM’ THAT YOU THINK COULD MAKE A RUN THAT PEOPLE SHOULD WATCH FOR IN THESE PLAYOFFS?
“That’s a good question. Man, I really don’t know. I’m not sure on that. I think if you make the final 16 and you hit on something at the right time, that could care you an awful long way. So, I don’t know who to tell you. But I think that there’s a lot of very talented drivers and teams who, if you get on the right thing at the right time, you can make a serious run.”
DID YOU EVER THING WE WOULD GET TO THIS POINT AFTER THE RE-START, AND WITH ALL THE CHALLENGES SURROUNDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?
“I was for sure skeptical that we were going to even have a season when all this started. So, yeah, I’m super happy that we have a change to race and are able to do what we’re doing. I know it’s a little bit different, but we’re still able to put on races each week and still able to compete and put a good product on TV. So yeah, I think for the most part, all’s been good, and I’m encouraged that we’ve had a chance. I felt like NASCAR was good at getting back going, which was encouraging to be a part of, too.”
YOU’RE WELL INTO YOUR CAREER AT THIS POINT AND YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH THE PLAYOFFS BEFORE. DO YOU FEEL LIKE WITH ALL THE EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE NOW, THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHATEVER IS THROWN YOUR WAY?
“I’d like to think so, for sure. We’ve never made the Round of 4. So that’s an area that we’ve never been in. So, some of that stuff, until you get there, it’s really hard to know what to expect. So yeah, I would love to get to be a part of that last race and that last event, and really make a run at it and do that. That’s the thing we haven’t been able to accomplish is making that last race. That’s the goal.”
IN LAST YEAR’S PLAYOFFS YOU WERE IN THE SECOND ROUND, MORE THAN 20 POINTS BEHIND THE CUTOFF, AND HAD THE REALLY STRONG RUN AT KANSAS TO ADVANCE. WHAT DID YOU LEARN OUT OF THAT?
“It was certainly encouraging. It was a combination of a couple of things. Our competitor that we were racing there, happened to have a bad restart at the end of the race and we happened to have a good one. And that was the point-difference that it took to get through. To me, it just kind of shows you that it’s not over until it’s over in a lot of those cases. And points can swing one way or another, especially with these stages and giving out stage points throughout all these races throughout the whole year. Just knowing how fast it can swing, a stage or two can boost you head and shoulders above somebody else; or, to catch up if you need to. So, I just look at it as not being done until you’re out.”
OF THE UPCOMING THREE RACES, DARLINGTON, RICHMOND, AND BRISTOL, WHICH ONE ARE YOU MOST EXCITED FOR AND NERVOUS ABOUT ~ BASED ON AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND MORE SUCCESS OR IMPROVEMENT WHERE YOU NEED IT?
“I’m excited about all of them. This is an exciting part of the year in my opinion. I really enjoy this time of the year. It’s fun. Its pressure packed, I feel like, in a lot of ways. It’s an exciting product for people to watch with the way these rounds eliminate people. I look forward to all of them, like I said. Richmond to me, has been a big time struggle since I’ve been in Cup, so I would really like to get better there. That one has been a problem. So hopefully we’re a little better there than we have been in the past because it’s not been pretty.”
YOU’VE BEEN ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR DRIVERS IN NASCAR RECENTLY. LAST TIME, THERE WERE NO FANS IN DARLINGTON. HOW NICE IS IT GOING TO BE TO HAVE FANS THIS TIME AROUND?
“Yeah, it was super-weird not having fans; but obviously, that was the first one back. It was a very odd environment to be in. As we’ve gone on this year, things have become a little more normal in that sense, as much as I hate to say that. But we’ve been kind of getting used to not seeing many people at the track. But, I’m happy to have folks back in a small capacity this weekend and hope that we can put on a really good race for them.”
HOW FORTUNATE IT IS THAT YOU GUYS WILL HAVE THE POLE FOR THE RACE THIS WEEKEND, LEADING THE FIELD TO THE GREEN, ESPECIALLY IN A CAR WITH A THROWBACK SCHEME THAT’S A TRIBUTE TO JIMMIE JOHNSON?
“I’m excited about it and the car looks great. What a cool opportunity to drive one of Jimmie’s paint schemes; one of my favorites, too, that I remember watching him in. So, I think that’s really cool. The starting spot is great. It’s great to get the pole. It’s always an encouraging thing; I think even a bigger deal to have that first pit box, which is super valuable. Hopefully we’re fast enough for it to matter and we can put that thing to use.”
WE MAY BE MONTHS AWAY FROM THE FINAL PLAYOFF RACE OF THE SEASON AT PHOENIX, BUT WHAT TO YOU THINK MAKES PHOENIX RACEWAY A UNIQUE RACING EXPERIENCE?
“Phoenix is a unique track in general. We don’t really go anywhere else that’s shaped like that; and has the two different corners be like they are. It’s kind of an awkward-shaped track. But yeah, it’s made for exciting races over the years and I expect it will do that again this year.”
YOU’VE WON FOUR OUT OF THE LAST SIX ROAD RACES, INCLUDING THIS YEAR AT THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE. LAST YEAR YOU WON AT THE ROVAL. THIS YEAR, THE ROVAL WILL BE IN THE ROUND OF 12. HOW DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS ON THE ROAD COURSES? WITH CHARLOTTE IN THE ROUND OF 12, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN ADVANTAGE HEADING INTO THIS YEAR’S PLAYOFFS?
“I’m not sure that I feel like it gives us an advantage but, I’ve been fortunate to have some really good runs there. I think that the Daytona deal went really good, which was nice. But I’m sure everybody is going to be getting better, as they always are. So, I hope we’re improved from what we were last year, and we can step up our game and have a good run.”
STATS-WISE, THIS HAS PROBABLY BEEN ONE OF YOUR BEST SEASONS TO DATE. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE THE MOST CONFIDENT YOU’VE BEEN HEADING INTO THE PLAYOFFS?
“That’s a good question. Somebody told me that earlier, which I was kind of surprised by that. I feel like we’ve had some really good runs at the beginning of the year and then got into a little bit of a dip there over the last couple of months. And then I thought Dover was back competitive again. So, I think for me, I just look at a little bit of the inconsistency. I think we need to be more consistent across the board. I’m encouraged by the fact that when I feel like we have things going, we can compete for wins at a lot of different style race tracks, which is awesome. So that definitely give me confidence. But this deal is all about what has happened lately, what your performance has been up to this date, and what you have ahead to try to improve on and how much you need to improve. So right now, I’m just thinking about having had a good run at Dover, I thought a fast car, and that was a style race track that I felt like is more of the direction of a 1.5-miles. So, I look at that and I’m encouraged. And I have confidence, like I said, that when things are good, I think we can compete with whomever. So, I think from that side, it’s a good thing.”
REGARDING THE PLAYOFFS QUALIFYING FORMAT, AND WITH TRACK POSITION BEING ALL THAT IMPORTANT, HOW MUCH MORE IMPORTANT IS IT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE A STRONG FINISH AT THE END OF THE RACE AND NOT NECESSARILY AT THE START? YOUR QUALIFYING POSITION WILL BE BASED ON THE TOP 16 WITH NO REAL INVOLVEMENT WITH THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD EARLY IN THE RACE.
“At the end of the day, the qualifying thing and the way that formula works, it just rewards people for performing. So, performing is basically just helping you at the next event, which I think is a very fair way to do it. If you run well, you run fast, and you have a good finish, you’re going to have a good starting spot the next week and that’s as fair of a thing we can do without qualifying.”
DOES IT, AND IF SO, HOW MUCH DOES IT WEIGH ON YOU THAT YOU HAVEN’T MADE THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR? IS THAT ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU THINK ABOUT ALL YEAR, OR JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE IT’S THE PLAYOFFS, AND THINGS HAPPEN?
“Well, it’s the goal, right? I mean you can’t win the championship without making that final four; and that’s been that point of the Playoffs that we haven’t been able to bust through yet. So, I feel like we’ve been really close at times, to doing it. I think we’re very capable of making the final four. So, at the end of the day, if me being confident and knowing that we can do it, and my team knowing that (too), is the case and it is, then I think that’s really all that matters to me. But it’s certainly the goal. Certainly, if you want to win a championship, you don’t have an option. You’ve got to make it. We know that and look forward to the challenge.”
HISTORICALLY YOU’VE RUN REALLY WELL AT PHOENIX. YOU HAD ONE OF THE BEST CARS IN THE SPRING THIS YEAR. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR CHANCES TO MAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR AND HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE MOVED FROM HOMESTEAD TO PHOENIX?
“I think it’s a good thing that it’s moving around. I think that’s a big plus and I think just for our sport and moving from track to track. So, I’m excited that it moved. And luckily, we had a good run there at the beginning of the year. A lot has changed since then though too, and people being better and competitors improving, so I think we’ll have some work to do when we go back. But I hope we’re a part of the final four for it to matter and hope we can take what we had there in the Spring and make it better for that last race, if so.”
YOU’VE RUN WELL AT DARLINGTON BEFORE, INCLUDING THIS SPRING. HOW MUCH DOES THAT ADD TO YOUR CONFIDENCE? WHAT’S THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGE OF DARLINGTON?
“We had a couple of good runs there in those first two races back, which was nice. Again, like I said, I think a lot has changed since then. So, I’m really curious to see how we stack-up this go-round. But Darlington is always kind of one of those things where the two ends of the race track are just so different, that it’s hard to get them both perfect. But it happens. And people do it all the time. And I look forward to trying again.”
WHEN IT COMES TO PLAYOFF POINTS EVERY YEAR, YOU SEEM TO BE IMPROVING. YOU’VE GOT 20 COMING IN, THE MOST YOU’VE HAD SINCE STAGE RACE WAS INVENTED. DO YOU THINK YOU’LL HAVE ENOUGH PLAYOFF POINTS TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR, OR DO YOU THINK YOU’LL NEED SOME MORE STAGE WINS AND MAYBE A RACE WIN OR TWO?
“I think that it all kind of depends on who does what right. If we were starting the Round of 8 right now, and we were advanced that far and the points were just like they were, I think that we have enough to make it if we run well. But, starting here fresh, there’s still a lot of opportunities for race wins and for guys to earn bonus points. So, the way that I’m going to view it is that we’re going to need more. And frankly, if you’re not contending for wins regularly, it doesn’t really matter anyway. So, I think for us, we need to get some more stage wins and more race wins and keep stacking it on.”
WITH NASCAR HAVING THE RULE WHERE IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, YOU’RE GOING TO MISS A RACE AND THAT’S NOT CHANGING FROM THE REGULAR SEASON. YOU GUYS HAVE HAD TO LIVE IN A BUBBLE. IS THERE ANYTHING MORE YOU HAVE TO DO IN TERMS OF PROTECTING YOURSELF OVER THE NEXT 10 WEEKS BECAUSE OF WHAT’S AT STAKE AT THIS POINT?
“I’ve thought about that some, for sure. And just being smart. And trying to wash your hands and do all the things that we’re supposed to be doing from that standpoint. That’s really all we can do, right, are the things that they’ve put out there for us and try to be smart about who you’re around and the environment you are in. So, from my end, I’m going to certainly try to think about some of that stuff some more and try to be as smart as possible and hope for the best. I mean, that’s really all we can do.”
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