Chase Elliott recently eloped with a list of drivers disgruntled with the NASCAR approval process. The list includes household names like Kyle Busch, Daniel Suárez, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano. The 29-year-old teamed up with the group to express concern about how the franchise fields drivers. The criticism comes after Katherine Legge’s debut in the Shriner’s Children’s 500 at Phoenix. Legge, who debuted as the first woman since Danica Patrick to compete at the Cup level, crashed and burned.
Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez was out to set a record with only 98 laps to go at Phoenix. He held firm in P6 and edged to the top of the field until an accident halted him. Katherine Legge was also vying for a successful first run with Live Fast Motorsports until she made contact with Suárez on lap 219. The collision resulted in damages, and the pair could not complete the race. Suárez finished in P23 and Legge in P30, disappointingly.
This wasn’t the first incident for Legge that day, having spun out early into lap four at Stage 1. After the final incident, Suárez initially had beef with Legge, but they’ve since settled their differences. Even so, this hasn’t stopped controversy regarding the approval that allowed it to transpire. Could this have been prevented? Chase Elliott sure thinks so. Here’s what the Hendrick Motorsports driver thinks should change and why.
Chase Elliot’s Stern Warning to NASCAR
Katherine Legge’s debut with Live Fast Motorsports was tumultuous after a stage 3 crash into Daniel Suárez. The mishap questions whether the driver approval process should be more extensive. Chase Elliott issued an eight-word warning to NASCAR regarding changes he believes should be considered. He stresses that all drivers should hone their craft before getting behind the wheel.
“Make sure that everybody is geared up and ready,” Elliott said of the driver approval process. “This is the pinnacle of NASCAR, right? This is supposed to be the top tier of what NASCAR has to offer within their sport and this discipline,” he contrived.
“I do think that we need to make sure that everyone is ready to go… the same way that myself and everyone else had to go run ARCA races at Daytona right before we ran our first Truck or Xfinity race,” he continued.
Could a Revised Testing Process Prevent Future Mishaps?
62-time Cup Champion Kyle Busch was the first to publicly express his disdain for how drivers are vetted. He heavily agrees with Chase Elliott’s viewpoints and mentions he’s silently questioned the process for a long time. “I feel like I’ve questioned the approval process for a long, long time… there’s a lot of work that could be done to make it better. I don’t think suits and ties should be making that,” Busch said.
Once he voiced his concerns, other drivers, including Chase Elliott, followed suit. Denny Hamlin has also spoken out. He referenced the vetting processes used by IndyCar as a possible solution. Before an IndyCar driver can compete, they must complete a battery of tests. These tests include whether physical and mental demands can be met. Additionally, the sport requires drivers to outmatch any competition and participate in simulator and technical training.
Is Hamlin on to something? He remarked that NASCAR doesn’t have much of a testing process. “In Indy, there’s a testing process. I don’t think we have a testing process. You just have to enter, right? So it’s just, come one, come all,” Hamlin explained. The scenario fits well with Katherine Legge’s pre-race single practice session. Will this suggestion bear fruit? There’s a chance, considering the top names in NASCAR have voiced concerns. Don’t expect it to happen any time soon, though, as the franchise seems content with how things are.
Final Thoughts
Chase Elliott joined forces with five fellow drivers to voice concerns over Katherine Legge’s performance in Phoenix two weeks ago. The British racer caused two incidents at the beginning and end of the race. The final incident in the third stage resulted in her and Daniel Suarez calling it quits early. Suárez was initially angry after losing his P6 position in Phoenix. The Trackhouse driver had an eventful conversation with the British standout post-race.
He mentioned he was reluctant to accept an apology from Legge after she initially reached out. However, that recently changed, and he credits her for her graciousness. He realizes she was dealt an unfair hand on NASCAR’s behalf and now places the blame on the franchise. “I give her a lot of credit for reaching out a couple of times, and it’s good,” Suárez said.
“My position didn’t change. I was mad at the situation and I believe that she got set up for failure. It doesn’t matter if you’re a great or bad driver. Regardless of that, if you are thrown in one of the most difficult series in the world to be competitive, it’s just not fair. That was the way I saw it,” he proclaimed. “I was more disappointed in NASCAR than her, and I mentioned that to her,” he added. Will this change the course of the driver approval process in the future? Perhaps Chase Elliott’s opinion as the sixth driver to speak out will change the game. So, stay tuned.
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