In the last 9 NASCAR races, the lap leader hasn't gone on to win the race

Chase Elliott: “We still need to go out and dominate a race”

Chase Elliott discusses the lack of domination in the NASCAR Cup Series

Chase Elliott has spent the last four years in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. We went winless for the first three season. On his 99th race, he picked up his first win. That win came at a road course, Watkins Glen International.

Now, Elliott won two out of the three round in the Round of 8. He won Dover, two weeks later he went to victory lane at Kansas Speedway. That second win makes Chase Elliott the first driver to win more than a single race in the playoffs.

The win at Kansas Speedway is crucial. Why? That’s a bread and butter track for NASCAR. Kansas also has similar track characteristics to Texas and the championship race at Homestead Miami Speedway.

Elliott is a real contender for the 2018 NASCAR Championship. Heading into the Round of 8, Elliott will start it off 3 points to the good on the cutoff line.

“We still need to go out and dominate a race,” Chase Elliott stated after his win a Kansas Speedway. “We were a contender today which is what you want to be. But, you want to go and dominate these things.”

“That’s within reach and that’s the goal.”

Chase Elliott with the Monster Energy Girls in victory lane — KANSAS CITY, KS – OCTOBER 21: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 Mountain Dew Chevrolet, poses with the winner’s sticker after the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 21, 2018 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

Race domination

There’s been quite a bit of that. However in recent weeks, typically the guy who dominates the race and leads the most laps doesn’t go on to win.

14 times of the 32 races this season, the driver leading the most laps has also crossed the finish line first. That’s a stat near 50%.

Yet, since the Bristol race at August, the race has been won by the driver that led the most laps exactly 0% of the time. In the last 9 races, the lap leader hasn’t taken the win.

Bristol
Lap leader: Blaney
Race winner: Ku. Busch

Darlington
Lap leader: Larson
Race winner: Keselowski

Indianapolis
Lap leader: Bowyer/Hamlin
Race winner: Keselowski

Las Vegas
Lap leader: Truex Jr
Race winner: Keselowski

Richmond
Lap leader: Truex Jr
Race winner: Ky Busch

Roval
Lap leader: Larson
Race winner: Blaney

Dover
Lap leader: Harvick
Race winner: Elliott

Talladega
Lap leader: Ku Busch
Race winner: Almirola

Kansas
Lap leader: Logano
Race winner: Elliott

“It’s a hard thing to do. Racing for four or five hundred miles. It’s a hard thing to be out front and not mess up. I think it’s as simple as that,” Elliott stated.

“We made mistakes throughout the day. The only reason you weren’t talking about it is cause we weren’t leading.”

“When you’re out front, everybody’s watching you. When you make mistakes, they’re emphasized cause everybody wants to talk about it.”

“When you’re not leading the race, mistakes happen all day. Just trying not to make them towards the end is the big one. These next three weeks, in my opinion, there is no room for mistakes. We just need to be on our game, in all aspects. I look forward to the challenge.”