NASCAR CUP SERIES
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FOLDS OF HONOR QUICKTRIP 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 18, 2021
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Press Conference Transcript:
NOW THAT YOU’VE GOT A CUP CHAMPIONSHIP UNDER YOUR BELT AND SOME WINS AT BIG TRACKS, IS A WIN AT ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY KIND OF ONE OF THOSE THAT YOU SAVE A SPOT ON YOUR MANTEL FOR, LIKE YOU WOULD FOR THE DAYTONA 500? WHERE DOES THIS ONE RANK FOR YOU?
“I would love to have a win at Atlanta (Motor Speedway). I feel like anybody’s home track, you want to have a win at, for sure, if you can get it. But like I’ve said in the past, I’m not super picky when it comes to wins; I’m good with wherever. They’re too hard to win. Atlanta would be great. I would love to get it done one day and be able to have one there, for sure.”
YOU’RE DOING THE BRISTOL DIRT NATIONALS HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. SOME DRIVERS ARE DOING THE TRUCKS NEXT WEEK. DID YOU TRY TO GET A TRUCK AND/OR IS THERE SOMETHING BETTER ABOUT DOING THE BRISTOL DIRT THIS WEEK THAN TRYING TO GET A LEARNING EXPERIENCE IN THE TRUCKS ON SATURDAY FOR THE CUP ON SUNDAY.
“Yeah, I put some effort in trying to get into a truck next week. I would have liked to; it just didn’t pan out. So, this was a great opportunity I thought. I don’t necessarily think the cars are going to drive very similar to the Cup cars next week, but just to see the race track and be able to just get some hands-on experience with it before we show up next week I think will be helpful. I do think the trucks will drive way more like the Cup cars next week, when it comes to the actual driving capability of them.”
“Yeah, I would have loved to have gotten in a truck. It didn’t work out, but I think going and doing this will help me just be able to visualize things, understand the racetrack a little more and just kind of get a little bit of a feel for what dirt is like there at Bristol before we just show up. I’m excited about it; I haven’t been in a late model in a long time. I’m not really sure what to expect, but looking forward to trying.”
WE TALKED ABOUT AT ALANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY AND HOW YOU’D LIKE TO GET YOUR FIRST WIN HERE. WHAT MAKES THIS TRACK SO CHALLENGING AND WHAT’S IT GOING TO TAKE FOR YOUR TEAM TO KIND OF LOCK UP YOUR FIRST WIN HERE?
“Atlanta (Motor Speedway) is tough. It’s an old surface, for sure, which I think makes it fun for the drivers. I feel like a lot of people enjoy going there because of that. But, overall for us, it’s been super hit or miss and I really don’t know why. We’ve gone there and we’ve had some really good runs; a couple of days that I thought we were capable of winning. And then we’ve been there and just been way out to lunch. So, I’m not exactly sure what that is all the time. Obviously, car configuration, rules, different packages and all that stuff plays a role in it. Hopefully this week we can be more on the hit side and execute a good race. Obviously, you have to have things going well for you to have a shot to win anywhere, but definitely have to execute a good race to put yourself in position to win. So, hopefully we can check both of those boxes.”
THERE’S SO MUCH TALK ABOUT THE DIRT RACE THAT SOME PEOPLE EVEN SAID YESTERDAY THAT IT WAS OVERSHADOWING ATLANTA. I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU’D LIKE TO WIN ANYWHERE. IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIAL STILL ABOUT THAT FOR YOU TO GO THERE AND GET IT DONE?
“Yeah, I would love to go have a good run at Atlanta. It’s always going to be a special place for me. I spent a lot of time racing Legend cars and things like that down there. So, for sure, I would love to go and have a good run.”
“But, yeah, a lot of people are talking about Bristol, for sure. I hate that for Atlanta that people feel that way, but I anticipate the same people who are saying that it’s overshadowing the race will likely tune in on Sunday at the same time. Hopefully it’s a good race for everybody and we can have a good run.”
CAN YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO RACE ON A TRACK LIKE ATLANTA, WHERE YOU NEED TIRES EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU GO IN, THE TIRES FALL OFF AND IT’S SO DIFFICULT. AS A DRIVER, WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT AND HOW MUCH CAN THAT EFFECT IT?
“ust the pace fall-off is massive. Every lap you run, you’re pretty much losing time. If you can run two laps the same in the first 10-15 laps of a run, you’ve really done well, at least in the past. This package, you might be able to run a couple the same; maybe a little longer than you could before. But, still, the fall-off is definitely there. That’s what makes the race track so challenging; just trying to find some consistency, trying to get in a rhythm and not beat up your tires. That’s a hard thing to do when you’re trying to go really fast and trying to set a good pace at the same time. It’s always been a challenge and I’d say always will be, as long as the surface is like it is.”
WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS THIS YEAR, WHERE ALL FOUR TEAMS SEEM TO HAVE SPEED CONSISTENTLY WEEK-TO-WEEK, AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE THE LAST TWO YEARS, WHERE ONE OR TWO OF YOU GUYS WERE REALLY GOOD?
“I think it’s really a testament to everybody at the shop putting in a lot of effort; each individual team putting in a lot of effort to go and be the best we can and that’s really what it comes down to. I don’t think any of the drivers are trying any harder than we have in the past. I think it’s just a really nice effort from the top to the bottom of trying to take four fast racecars to the track every weekend. I do feel like everybody is, I don’t want to say sharing information because we’ve always done that, but just working together a little more from all aspects. You might have some people who work really good together sometimes and other people don’t. Where I feel like, right now, it’s super fluid and everybody’s open about anything and everything, and I feel like it’s showing on track. But beyond that, I really feel it’s fundamental upgrades, things that are important on track, being improved upon in the shop and I think each car is benefitting from it.”
YOU MENTIONED EVERYONE SHARING INFORMATION AND KIND OF BEING ON THE SAME PAGE. IS THAT PART OF THE RE-ORGANIZATION, PUTTING CHAD (KNAUS) IN A POSITION WHERE HE’S KIND OF OVERSEEING COMPETITION TO SOME DEGREE OR ARE THERE OTHER FACTORS?
“I don’t think Chad’s (Knaus) position hurts anything, for sure. I think he’s a nice addition to that. Obviously, he’s been taking cars at a high level to the racetrack for a long time. So, to have him at the shop and to be able to oversee everyone’s car. And really, more than anything, I feel like where his position has been helpful is when a crew chief sees his car for the first time a week before the race or something, I feel like that crew chief has less work to do on his car to get it ready to go to the track to his standards and I think Chad has had a big impact in having that car show up in a manner that particular crew chief wants it to be in before he sees it for the first time. That makes a big difference.”
WE’VE HAD KIND OF AN UNPREDICTABLE YEAR WHEN IT COMES TO WINNERS. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT AND IS IT GOOD FOR THE SPORT?
“Well, it’s certainly not bad. Having different people win I think is good, right. Why would it be bad, I guess is what I’m thinking in my head. I feel like it’s a good thing from a fan’s perspective. I think it’s exciting when you have different people winning and it’s been that way kind of every week I guess since we started the season. Yeah, I don’t see anything bad about that at all. I think it adds excitement and predicting these first four or five weeks, for sure, would have been tough. But none of them have been fluke wins. Michael (McDowell) was fast at Daytona; Christopher (Bell) was good at the (Daytona) Road Course; William (Byron) was really fast; Kyle (Larson) was really fast at Vegas; and obviously (Martin) Truex (Jr.) got his car in a position to be super good at Phoenix. I don’t see where it’s a bad thing for the sport at all.”
YOU STARTED DIRT RACING AND YOU GOT HIGH PRAISE FROM PEOPLE, LIKE KYLE LARSON, THAT WATCHED YOU. DID YOU SEEM TO TAKE TO IT NATURALLY AND HAVE YOU ENJOYED THE DIRT RACING?
“Yeah, I’ve had a lot of fun with it. I’m not very good at it, I don’t think, but I’m looking forward to trying to get better. I think, more than anything, I enjoy the challenge of it and it’s just a discipline that I haven’t spent much time trying to work on my craft in and try to get better at. I think that the fact that it is something new intrigues me, has my attention and I want to get better at it. I think I can get better at it and I think that’s where I have some motivation and drive to want to do more of it, is that I don’t feel like I have learned all the things I need to learn to be the best I can at it and I think I can do better. So, that’s why I want to keep going and trying.”
THE IDEA OF HOME TRACK ADVANTAGE IS SUCH A PART OF SPORT’S CULTURE AND, OBVIOUSLY, NASCAR IS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS. FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS A DRIVER, IS THERE SUCH A THING AS A TRADITIONAL HOME TRACK ADVANTAGE IN NASCAR AND, IF SO, HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN IT SOMEBODY THAT’S NEW TO THE SPORT?
“Yeah, it’s super tough. NASCAR is definitely unique in that way and I don’t really have a good way of describing that for you. But, it’s definitely not like having home field; it’s not like the Brave’s having home field advantage for their Playoff run or whatever. So, very different. I wish Atlanta was like that for me, but there’s a lot of people there that want to see other drivers do well, too. Granted, I think a lot of them are from around here and will want to see us do well. But I guess the reason is there are 39 other people in the event, not just the two teams. Logically thinking, I guess that would be why it’s different.”
WHAT HAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOU AND KYLE LARSON BEEN LIKE THUS FAR AND HOW GREAT HAS IT BEEN TO SEE HIM HAVE THE SPEED SO EARLY IN HIS HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS’ CAREER?
“Our relationship has been good. I’ve always respected Kyle (Larson); I feel like we’ve mutually respected each other since we both kind of came on the scene. He came in a little earlier than me, but we were Chevy teammates through those years that he was at Ganassi and then obviously now being teammates at Hendrick Motorsports. Like I said, we’ve always gotten along fine and I’m not surprised at all by his performance. He’s done very well for himself; I feel like he’s earned is spot back in NASCAR and then some. And obviously his on-track performance speaks for itself. I’m just happy to see him back where he belongs. I feel like he belongs in the Cup Series and I think he’ll do very well at it.”
THE RACING YOU DID OVER THE OFF SEASON, IT GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION. WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF AS A RACER IN THOSE ENDEAVORS AND HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO APPLY ANY LESSONS THAT YOU’VE LEARNED FROM THOSE EXPERIENCES INTO THE FIRST FIVE RACES OF 2021?
“Yeah, I have, for sure. Number one, I didn’t do very well at all in any of it. So, you go and when you challenge yourself in different ways, it’s good for you. It’s good for you to go and push yourself to new levels. Coming off a great season, it’s great to go and kind of find new limits. Understand more about yourself in different ways, ways that you haven’t experienced before. And all those new experiences – if you take one thing from all of them combined, you’ve spent your time in a good place and it was worth doing it.”
“I think the bottom line is just a new challenge, a new set of circumstances, a new discipline – all of those things just are pushing yourself in ways that I haven’t done in the past and I think it’s a good thing. I hope I can do some more of it.”
AFTER FIVE RACES THIS SEASON ON A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES OF TRACKS, WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR CAR’S SPEED IS NOW COMPARED TO MAYBE THE END OF THE SEASON LAST YEAR? IS THERE ANYWHERE YOU FEEL LIKE MAYBE YOU GUYS CAN IMPROVE UPON STILL?
“Yeah, I mean I think we could have improved last year too. We were really bad at Homestead there this year, which last year Homestead was one, I guess it’s kind of interesting, we had our best run we’ve ever had at Homestead last year earlier on in the season, after the break and what not. So, I was really excited to get there and that one was a struggle; I’m not really sure about that. But it’s just so hard to predict, with just how close everybody is nowadays in the garage and how good these teams are, bringing that next upgrade the next week and trying to get better. I don’t really know what to call it, other than just racing. That’s just what it is; it’s close, it’s tight, a little bit goes a long way when you’re fighting for literal tenths of a second. A half of a tenth can go a long way; that’s just the world we live in.”
BUBBA WALLACE TESTED THE NEXT GEN CAR YESTERDAY AT RICHMOND RACEWAY. I’M NOT SURE THAT YOU’VE HAD A CHANCE TO TEST IT OR NOT, BUT IF NOT, WHEN DO YOU ANTICIPATE YOU MIGHT HAVE A SHOT OF TESTING THE NEXT GEN CAR AND WHAT YOUR EARLY IMPRESSIONS OF IT ARE, IF ANY?
“Yeah, I mean it seems fine. To be honest with you, I don’t really know much about it. If I had a choice, I would love for them to have everything done – I want them to have that car complete, these are the rules for 2022, this is what the car has to be and I want to go drive that car because I think that’s going to help myself and my team be better prepared for the season and what we’re actually going to see on-track. I still think they have question marks on what is going to be on the car, what’s not going to be on the car, and I would rather go test with my guys that I’m going to go fight the battle with every week and the car that we’re going to be racing on-track within the rules of what the rule book will be for 2022.”
WITH ALL THE NEW TRACKS ON THE SCHEDULE, ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT GOING TO TRUCKS OR XFINITY TO TRY TO GET EXPERIENCE THERE?
“Yeah, I’ve thought about it, for sure. The Bristol dirt race comes to mind; that was a big one for me. I feel like the Truck event would have been a good one to do there. So, places like that, for sure I’ve concerned. I don’t think it would hurt anything to go and do some of that stuff. But obviously the circumstances have to be right; you have to find the right team, a sponsor and the whole deal. So, it’s not just as easy as me wanting to do it, unfortunately.”
WE SAW HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SCORE TWO OF THE FIRST FIVE RACES IN WINS. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS’ PROGRAM RIGHT NOW, IN RELATION TO YOUR COMPETITION?
“I feel like HMS is an exciting place to be. There’s a lot of talented people, there’s been a lot of talented people there for as long as I’ve been there. But I feel like everybody is just pushing really hard, working well together. Chad’s (Knaus) new role at HMS I think is rolling these cars to the crew chiefs in a better place than they’ve been in the past. I think he’s a guy who pays the attention to detail that it takes to be successful at the Cup level and he’s fought the battle for however many years, a long time. I mean how long has he been around NASCAR, working at all different types of jobs within race teams. Absolutely, I think there are some good things going on and we just need to keep pushing. The whole season is important, but having your stuff right at the right time is also important, as well. So, we’ve got to keep our heads down and keep going.”
WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS NEED TO WORK ON TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAM?
“Every area – everything has to be perfect. There’s not a place where you can be slacking, I feel like, and expect to do well. Boring answer, but if everything’s not right, you’re probably not going to run good.”
GIVEN THAT YOU DON’T HAVE A TON OF DIRT EXPERIENCE, HOW DOES A DRIVER LIKE YOURSELF PREPARE TO RUN A STOCK CAR ON DIRT NEXT WEEK?
“I’m going to show up and get in the car for hot laps. That is my plan; I don’t really know what else to do from that front. Just go up there and give it a shot. Lean on some help from friends who have been around those cars for a long time and hope I can get going and pick up on it quick. That’s about all I can do.”
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