The engine blew in Chase Elliott's #9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrole tin the opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday morning.
“We broke a motor there, five laps in, and it’s obviously and unfortunate way to start the day, for sure,” Elliott said. "But it’s one of those things, really, that it kind of what it is at this point, and everybody is working hard to try to get our car back put together to get some practice in this next one. At this point, that’s the most important thing.”
Because of the engine change, Elliott will have to drop to the back for the green flag of the First Data 500 on Sunday, regardless of how he qualifies Saturday evening.
“I think just to keep things simple for us, we need to try to win,” Elliott said. "And if you’re not in a position to win, just get as many points as possible. I think that keeps things simple for you. I’m going to be trying to be as far forward as I can be at each particular moment and try to make the smartest decisions that I can throughout the day to get us there. Obviously, stage points are important, but I’m going to try to get as far forward as I can and get the most points possible at any given point in time. Yeah, starting in the back will be unfortunate for that first stage, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.”
Sunday's race at Martinsville is the first of the three-race third round, or round of eight, of the 2019 Cup Series playoffs. After finishing second last weekend at Kansas Speedway, Elliott advanced to the third round. He heads into Sunday's race sixth in the standings among the remaining eight playoff drivers.
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