Chase Elliott's Chicagoland slide: Dale Earnhardt Jr admits mistake

Chase Elliott's Chicagoland race ends in frustration after Earnhardt Jr move

Chase Elliott’s hopes of winning at Chicagoland Speedway vanished after Dale Earnhardt Jr’s late-race slide dropped him out of contention on 15 June.

The No. 9 Chevrolet driver rallied from a mid-race pit-road penalty to run inside the top five. But a defensive move from Earnhardt Jr’s No. 8 car on the final lap forced Elliott wide and cost him track position.

What happened at Chicagoland?

Elliott started 12th and worked his way forward through a mix of clean restarts and smart line choices. He ran as high as third before the final caution on Lap 190.

The field bunched up on the restart. Earnhardt Jr, running second, drifted down the track in Turn 3 and clipped Elliott’s left rear quarter. The contact sent Elliott sideways and dropped him to 11th at the checkered flag.

Why it matters for Chase Elliott

The result leaves Elliott 12th in the points standings, 161 behind series leader Kyle Larson. His winless streak now stretches to 28 races.

Elliott’s team called the move unnecessary. “He didn’t need to do that,” said a Hendrick Motorsports engineer. “Chase was already going to lose a spot or two. That just ruined his day.”

What comes next for Elliott

Elliott heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend for the 301. He’ll need a strong run to climb back into the top 10 before the summer break.

Crew chief Alan Gustafson said the team will review the incident. “We’ll look at the data and decide if there’s anything we can do differently,” he said.