Chase Elliott hopes to continue road success at Mexico City
Sunday's Viva Mexico 250 in Mexico City means a few road-course standouts should be antsy to make the long trip south and claim a playoff berth.
NASCAR makes history Sunday when it holds the first points-paying international Cup Series race in the modern era at the tricky Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, featuring 15 turns that drivers will battle over 100 laps (242.9 miles) at 7,350 feet.
It will be the first international points event since 1958 when Lee Petty won in Toronto driving an Oldsmobile in a 19-car field that featured son Richard in his racing debut.
One hotshot looking forward to a few right turns to go along with the lefts is Chase Elliott, the active leader in wins at the Cup Series' snaking layouts from New York to California to Mexico and points in between.
Owner of seven road wins, third to all-time leader Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight), Elliott has had no luck on them since 2022.
His only two victories in 2021 and the last on the winding courses were at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Tex., and the lengthy Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc., which only made two appearances on the Cup schedule (2021, 2022) before being replaced.
The seven-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver award winner is having an incredibly consistent but completely unremarkable regular season in his 10th full campaign after running five races in 2015.
Through 15 races so far, the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports pilot is winless -- he has had just one victory (Texas, 2024) since grabbing the checkers at Talladega on Oct. 2, 2022 -- but he is the only driver to finish every race in the top 20, placing him fifth in points (minus-112 to leader William Byron) with an 11.7 average finish.
However, Elliott had made a habit of winning in the Cup Series -- 19 total times, including five each in his championship season of 2020 and also in 2022.
But drivers generally have to lead to win -- though Denny Hamlin, who will miss the Mexico race for his child's birth, only led five laps Sunday on the way to career victory No. 57 at Michigan.
Elliott, 29, has paced the way on just 95 laps, while Byron, Kyle Larson and Hamlin -- 1-2-3 in points -- have combined for a whopping 2,074 circuits led.
Usually for Elliott, it has been a different story, one of flashy, checkered success, not just a good points day with no chance of glory, when it comes to racing on the slithering asphalt.
In 36 career road events, Elliott has nabbed seven wins, three poles and 20 top fives. He has led 489 laps with an average finish of 9.0.
The Dawsonville, Ga., driver is optimistic -- despite fans' criticism of crew chief Alan Gustafson and the team.
'We care a lot about each other,' Elliott said. 'I think it's important that we've stuck together through this, and I think there is light at the end of the tunnel somewhere. I also think we're going to be way better for it once we do get on the other side because we've had to learn some hard lessons.'
Currently saddled with an 0-for-43 winless streak in points races, could the top racer on road courses desperately use a win Sunday and tie Stewart for second in wins?
Let's just say he would have no problem bringing a trophy through customs when he returns.
--Field Level Media
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Canada News.Net
3 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Blue Jays capitalize on Yankees' mistakes, seal series win
(Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images) Chris Bassitt struck out eight, Bo Bichette hit a two-run homer and the host Toronto Blue Jays defeated the sloppy New York Yankees 8-4 on Wednesday night. The Yankees committed four errors and other uncredited misplays in the rubber match of a three-game series as the Blue Jays rebuilt their lead over the Yankees in the American League East to four games. Bassitt (11-4) allowed four runs (three earned), three hits and no walks in 7 1/3 innings. Aaron Judge hit a two-run home run and Jasson Dominguez and Anthony Volpe hit solo shots for the Yankees. Dominguez's liner to right opened the scoring in the second. Yankees starter Max Fried (11-4) retired his first seven batters before running into trouble. George Springer looped a one-out single to center and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scorched an RBI double into the left-field corner. Alejandro Kirk walked and Addison Barger loaded the bases on an infield hit to third. Ernie Clement lined a single to center to give Toronto a 2-1 lead. Volpe homered to left center with one out in the fifth. Toronto scored twice in the home fifth without a hit. Davis Schneider and Springer walked and advanced on a wild pitch. Both scored when Fried fielded Guerrero's squibber up the third-base line and made an errant throw to catcher J.C. Escarra. The Yankees tied the game in the sixth. Trent Grisham reached second on Guerrero's error on a grounder to first. Judge launched a sinker over the wall in right center to move into sixth on the all-time Yankees list with 352 homers. Toronto regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Clement tripled when right fielder Cody Bellinger lost his fly ball in the twilight. Myles Straw doubled into the left-field corner to chase Fried, who had a bloodied left pinkie from throwing his curveball. With Jonathan Loaisiga pitching, Ben Rice's error on pinch hitter Will Wagner's grounder to first allowed Straw to score. Fried gave up six runs (four earned), six hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Yankees manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake were ejected in the seventh after Volpe was called out on strikes. Toronto added two insurance runs in the seventh when Guerrero singled and Bichette homered against Scott Effross.
Canada News.Net
3 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
MLS All-Stars, minus Lionel Messi, defeat Liga MX All-Stars
(Photo credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images) Major League Soccer joint leading scorer Sam Surridge of Nashville SC scored in the first half to help the MLS All-Stars to a 3-1 victory over their Liga MX foes despite the absence of Lionel Messi in the All-Star Game on Wednesday night in Austin, Texas. The Philadelphia Union's Tai Baribo added the eventual winner early in the second half, and the Vancouver Whitecaps' Brian White provided late insurance for MLS, which won for the third time in four All-Star Games played in this format since 2021. Tijuana's 16-year-old Gilberto Mora pulled a goal back later in the second half for Liga MX and became the youngest goal-scorer in the event's history. Earlier this month, he became the youngest player ever to win a senior continental international title as part of Mexico's CONCACAF Gold Cup championship squad. Surridge and Inter Miami's Messi each have 18 league goals. It was uncertain all week whether Messi would play on Wednesday, but the 38-year-old, eight-time Ballon d'Or winner did not appear. His Miami teammate, Jordi Alba, also missed the exhibition. Per MLS rules, Messi and Alba would face a one-game suspension for skipping the All-Star Game, which would see them miss a home match against FC Cincinnati on Saturday. However, MLS commissioner Don Garber said Wednesday that no decision on suspensions had been made. Surridge opened the scoring in the 28th minute on a chance created by Los Angeles FC's Denis Bouanga, who beat the Liga MX defense with his pace but saw his initial effort denied by Club America goalkeeper Luis Malagon. Bouanga reached the rebound, then bent in a diagonal cross toward the 6-yard box, where Surridge met it with a downward header that beat Malagon. Baribo, who has 14 regular-season goals this year, four behind Messi and Surridge in the MLS Golden Boot race, doubled the advantage in the 51st minute. He reached a cross from the left by Columbus' Diego Rossi and beat Cruz Azul goalie Kevin Mier from about 15 yards out. Mora pulled a goal back in the 64th minute, but White made sure of the MLS win in the 80th minute. The New England Revolution's Carles Gil was exceptional in setting up the attack for the final goal, maneuvering out of traffic at midfield before playing in the San Jose Earthquakes' Cristian Espinoza down the left. The Chicago Fire's Philip Zinckernagel provided the final pass for White's tap-in from close range.
Canada News.Net
7 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
WTA roundup: Maria Sakkari tops Emma Navarro in Washington
(Photo credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images) Greece's Maria Sakkari upset second-seeded Emma Navarro 7-5, 7-6 (1) in the second round of the Mubadala Citi DC Open on Wednesday in Washington. Sakkari, a finalist in the event two years ago, finished with a 7-1 edge in aces and saved all three break points she faced. Third-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan emerged with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Victoria Mboko as the Canadian committed nine double faults. In other second-round matches, Russia's Anna Kalinskaya defeated eighth-seeded Magda Linette of Poland 6-4, 6-0, and fourth-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark outlasted Caroline Dolehide 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. Livesport Prague Open Tereza Valentova, playing in her hometown, defeated second-seeded Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia 7-6 (1), 7-5 in the second round in Prague. Eighth-seeded Alycia Parks also stumbled against a Czech player, falling 7-6 (9), 6-3 to Sara Bejlek. Parks failed to take advantage of two set points in the first-set tiebreaker. Top-seeded Linda Noskova, also of the Czech Republic, downed Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-2, 6-4. Other winners were fourth-seeded Xinyu Wang of China, ninth-seeded Ann Li of the United States, France's Jessika Ponchet and fifth-seeded Marie Bouzkova and Katerina Siniakova, both of the Czech Republic.
