Latest news with #PrimeVideoChevrolet
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Slow stop slumps Chase Elliott's winning chances at Kansas; Hamlin also derailed
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Chase Elliott was up front, leading laps and seemingly poised to fight toward snapping a 38-race winless streak. But one miscue at Lap 198 of Sunday's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway unraveled an otherwise impressive day for the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, ultimately fading to a 15th-place finish. Advertisement MORE: Race results | Best Kansas photos Elliott had impressive speed throughout the weekend, qualifying ninth and surging to second place at the end of both stages. A strong pit stop at the end of Stage 2 propelled Elliott to the lead to restart the final stage. Elliott did his part when the green flag waved to fend off teammate Kyle Larson and RFK Racing's Brad Keselowski to maintain the top spot. A flat tire for Keselowski at Lap 195, however, triggered the first domino in derailing Elliott's day. The caution flag waved and ushered in an ensuing round of pit stops that ultimately played a pivotal role in determining the outcome of Sunday's race. Elliott led the field to pit road and planted his No. 9 Prime Video Chevrolet into pit stall No. 41, the first box nearest pit entry. All looked routine as the crew serviced the right side of the car — until jackman TJ Semke dropped the jack a millisecond too early. Rear-tire changer Chad Avrit hadn't yet secured the right-rear wheel before the car was lowered, forcing Semke to re-jack the vehicle for Avrit to tighten the lug nut. Advertisement The mistake marked the group's only significant error of the contest, but the stop anchored Elliott in the box for over 14 seconds — a relative eternity in a NASCAR world rocketing forward with common eight-second services. Elliott plummeted from the lead to 16th place and never truly recovered. The 2020 Cup champion worked his way back to 12th place in the closing laps of the contest, but Todd Gilliland, Corey Heim and Noah Gragson all eventually worked past him to drop Elliott to 15th at the checkered flag. On one hand, there are plenty of positives for Elliott, crew chief Alan Gustafson and the No. 9 crew to take from Kansas after leading 29 laps and averaging a fourth-best 6.37 running position, according to NASCAR's loop data. Per NASCAR Insights, Elliott also ranked third in Defense Rating with the fifth-best Speed Rating and seventh-best Passing Rating. But the end result dampens what could have been for Elliott, who ranked just 23rd in NASCAR Insights' Restart Rating. 'It was great for the 9 this weekend,' said Chad Knaus, Hendrick Motorsports' vice president of competition. 'They unloaded, they were good. Chase had very favorable comments about the race car straight out of the gate, which was really nice. I know that Alan and Chase are digging in deep and working extremely hard with their team to try to make sure that they do that on a weekly basis, because when they do, they execute very well. Advertisement 'It's unfortunate that issue happened today because I think we'd be sitting here with them easily in the top five with the pace that they had. But it only takes one hiccup and it can derail your day. So we've got to keep working on those things. But as long as they continue to bring good race cars and fast race cars and execute at a high level, they're going to be where we need them.' That particular round of pit stops ended others' days while propelling others back into the mix. Christopher Bell launched three spots forward to escape pit road with the lead at Lap 198 while his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe rocketed four spots up to sixth. Bell was a constant presence inside the top five Sunday, but Briscoe largely struggled to start the event before leaping to a fourth-place finish. Denny Hamlin, meanwhile, another JGR driver, suffered a mechanical failure, speculating that the transaxle broke on his No. 11 Toyota while attempting to leave his pit stall with an already-broken clutch. A handful of quick cautions in succession — first for spins by Cody Ware, Daniel Suárez and Ty Dillon, then for Kyle Busch and again for a five-car incident — jumbled the running order once again before Larson finally emerged as the day's dominant driver, leading 221 of 267 laps to score his third Kansas win.
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Chase Elliott Eyes Second Nascar Cup Series Championship
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Amazon Prime Video Chevrolet, greets fans as he walks onstage ... More during driver intros prior to the Nascar Cup Series Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025. (Photo by) Nascar's most popular driver needed some time to adjust to the Next Gen racecar. But now that he has, driver No. 9 is eyeing his second Nascar Cup Series championship. Elliott got off to a roaring start in the new car in 2022, winning five races. However, between 2023 and now, he only has one win as he's adjusted his driving style to the new car. This year, Elliott has a fresh mentality. A new, sleek look to his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet may help with that, too. Through 10 races, Elliott sits fourth in the standings with six top 10s. However, as a champion, he is not satisfied. 'It's been OK; I don't think we've been spectacular by any stretch,' Elliott said. 'I thought we had a good first four to five weeks, including the Clash. Nothing has been a gold star sticker besides the Clash weekend, but unfortunately, that one doesn't count for a whole lot. We have a long season left, and I'm looking forward to the grind.' The No. 9 team, led by crew chief Alan Gustafson, came out of the gates running to kick of the 2025 season. They dominated the entire weekend at Bowman Gray Stadium, winning the pole and leading 171 of 200 laps. 'I knew how little that meant just because I've been on the other side of it,' Elliott said of winning the preseason exhibition race. 'Even if you don't have a good Clash, that doesn't mean you're going to start off bad. If you have a good Clash weekend, that doesn't mean it's all going to go good. 'We hope we can get some good momentum as we get to some of these more normal racetracks throughout the summer months.' During Elliott's championship-winning season in 2020, he won five races with 22 top 10s. But to do it again this year, he'll first need to break into victory lane. This weekend's race at Texas Motor Speedway marks one year since his win, and he is hungry to repeat. Elliott made a stop in New York City last week before competing at Talladega Superspeedway, promoting the MLB Speedway Classic on Saturday, Aug. 2 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the first MLB game held at a Nascar track. Back on the track, Elliott is focused on having front of the pack speed on a more consistent basis. His 10.9 average finish is solid, but he's only led 45 laps this year, with 42 of those coming at Martinsville Speedway. Elliott has also brought in new partners, as well. Amazon Prime Video debuted as a primary sponsor for his No. 9 team at Talladega. The three-race deal extends through 2027, which coincides with his HMS contract. Prime's first Nascar race weekend is set for Memorial Day weekend with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with Elliott's HMS teammate Kyle Larson attempting 'The Double' for the second year in a row. And NAPA continues to be pleased with its long-term relationship with Elliott, with the No. 9 car being wrapped in the brand's colors for 26 races. 'We did a shoot with them a few months ago in preparation for their summer series,' Elliott said of Amazon Prime Video. 'It's a natural collaboration with the races they're streaming coming up soon. For me, it's a great opportunity to be aligned with a company that has a reach in an infinite amount of directions. There's a lot of opportunities for us to take that partnership and help grow the sport with it.'
