Chase Elliott says winning is 'the only option' moving forward after Michigan

With a top-10 qualifying spot in his hand to start the race, Chase Elliott found himself out early in the FireKeepers Casino 400. Michigan was not kind to Elliott, who is still seeking his first win of the season as well as a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs. For now, that will have to wait.

Chase Elliott was the second car on the day to wreck out of the race and receive a DNF. Soon after Kyle Busch found himself in the wall, Elliott lost control and wrecked his No. 9 NAPA Chevy. This is not the kind of result Elliott needed and it will do a lot of damage as far as his playoff hopes are concerned.

When asked about the wreck and what it meant for his season, Elliott was honest. He’s been upfront about winning since he came back from injury. Now, things are even more important and dire.

“It’s the only option,” Elliott explained to the media.

Chase Elliott on his prospects of winning one of the three final regular-season races: “It’s the only option.” pic.twitter.com/mrX9It6qqm

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 6, 2023

Of course, the FireKeepers Casino 400 is postponed until Monday. However, that has to sting a little more than usual just because you know the race didn’t get done today. Maybe if NASCAR had waited or there was rain sooner in the day, Elliott would have a shot tomorrow.

That isn’t how things played out, though. By the time this race stopped after 74 laps, Busch, Elliott, William Byron, and Josh Berry were all DNFs.

Chase Elliott has to get a win to make the playoffs

Coming into the FireKeepers Casino 400, Chase Elliott was 40 points below the cutline and in 20th overall in the points standings. After the race concludes on Monday, there is no telling how far he can drop to the cutline. One race is worth anywhere from 20 to 60 points if you’re a top-15 car.

Nothing has really come together for Elliott and his team this season. Even when they have speed, something like this happens. Then when they don’t have speed, Elliott tries to do his best to get the car moving in the right direction. Of course, things like this have been hindering the effort as well.

Drivers like Alex Bowman and Daniel Suárez will be more than glad to see Elliott DNF. That means they can pick up more points and possibly get a much-needed win themselves.

Chase Elliott won’t get a shot at this race on Monday. His wreck at Michigan will likely be seen as the biggest mistake of this playoff push if he does end up missing the postseason.