Chase Elliott’s 23rd‑place finish in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona forced an overtime stretch, leaving the No. 9 team short of the points they had hoped to gain.
Race disruptions
A fatality‑style wreck by Carson Hocevar at the tail end of the race pushed the event into an overtime shootout. Elliott found himself trapped deep in the field, unable to launch a late‑career run toward the front.
Impact on points
With the race over, Elliott reflected that the outcome had been worse than he expected. He said he needed a few more points to shunt himself up the standings before the Chase begins.
Elliott’s outlook
He emphasized that the seeding will not matter as long as the team runs at a high level and finishes well. “We’ve had a bad stretch, but it’s not about where we start in the Chase; it’s about performance,” he said, pointing to the points reset as a fresh opportunity.
Next race
The first race of the Chase will take place next week at Darlington, setting the stage for the No. 9 team to attack the standings.
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