Chase Elliott displayed remarkable resilience at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), overcoming an early-race incident to claim a fourth-place finish. A first-lap collision with Ross Chastain initially set him back, but he and his team battled through the adversity to climb back into the top five by the end of the race.
Starting from the third position in his No. 9 Chevrolet, Elliott was well-placed for a strong performance. However, as the pack navigated the opening turn, Chastain made an aggressive move that sent Elliott spinning, pushing him to the back of the field. The contact resulted in a left rear toe-link issue, further complicating his race.
Throughout the first two stages, Elliott found himself struggling outside the top 25 while his team focused on repairing the damage. By the early part of the final stage, he had managed to break into the top 20, but a strategic adjustment was necessary to improve his standing.
Crew chief Alan Gustafson made a pivotal call during the last caution, bringing Elliott in for fresh tires while running just inside the top 20. This move proved to be crucial, as Elliott made a remarkable charge through the field, advancing from 23rd to fourth in the final 13 laps. Reflecting on his strong recovery, he told PRN,
“We were moving really well at the end. When you have a fast car, you always want to be in the mix, but considering where we were earlier, it was a great comeback.”
Currently piloting the No. 9 Chevrolet ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott sits 10th in the driver standings with 56 points. Through two NASCAR Cup Series races in the 2025 season, he has averaged a starting position of 13 and a finishing position of 17.5.
Elliott’s Response to Early Contact with Chastain
After being spun on the first lap, Elliott expressed his frustration over the team radio, questioning whether he had done anything wrong. Crew chief Alan Gustafson quickly reassured him, stating,
“You didn’t do anything wrong, just stupidity.”
Elliott responded by emphasizing that he wanted to be certain he wasn’t at fault before reacting, saying,
“No, that’s totally fine. I’ll do what I need to do. But I just need to make sure I wasn’t in the wrong before I do it.”
Gustafson, however, was less reserved in his frustration. Suggesting retaliation, he remarked,
“We’re gonna have to pay that sht back because I’m over people like that constantly doing dumb sht. When we get a chance to send him, we’re sending that #1 car.”
FOX NASCAR analysts Jamie Little and Kevin Harvick also weighed in on the incident. Little highlighted Chastain’s aggressive move, while Harvick criticized the recklessness of his driving.
“You have to protect yourself in Turn One, and Ross Chastain just went for a dive bomb move right there and just wiped out Chase Elliott.”
Despite the early misfortune, Elliott remained focused and executed an impressive comeback. He managed to finish Stage One in fifth place before ultimately securing fourth at the checkered flag. Meanwhile, Chastain’s race took a turn when he was handed a pass-through penalty due to a crew infraction, as a team member had jumped over the wall too early.
