Engine Issues Plague Playoff Contender Elliott at Kansas on Saturday
It's going to be an uphill battle for NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contender Chase Elliott in Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. The driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was plagued by engine troubles throughout practice and qualifying on Saturday.
With his car suspected of being down a cylinder, Elliott turned the fastest lap he could in qualifying for Sunday's race, but his 32.345 second lap time was slowest of anyone in the field. As a result, Elliott will start the Hollywood Casino 400 from 38th, the final starting spot in the lineup.
RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 Starting Lineup
Not only will Elliott start at the rear of the field, but his team will also have the final pit selection, which will possibly be a bigger disadvantage than the starting position. While that is a lot of adversity to overcome, the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team still has to attempt to diagnose the issues with the motor in the race car or make the decision to change the engine before the start of Sunday's race.
Either way, Saturday served as a drama-filled start to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 for Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion. While Elliott struggled mightily on Saturday, the remainder of the Playoff contending drivers had a relatively more smooth day.
Christopher Bell, a Playoff contender will start from the pole on Sunday, and all 11 of the drivers that Elliott is competing against for the championship qualified 17th or better for Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway.
Heading into Sunday's race, Elliott sits seventh in the 12-driver Playoff Grid, and he's just six points above the cutline. With the margin of error so slim in this latest round of the Playoffs, Elliott can't afford a bad outing on Sunday.
The NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12, is set for Sunday, September 29. USA Network will provide television coverage of the race beginning at 3 PM ET. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will provide the radio broadcast of the event.
Toby Christie is the Editor-in-Chief of Racing America. He has 15 years of experience as a motorsports journalist and has been with Racing America since 2023.