Chase Elliott, a prominent NASCAR Cup Series driver, saw his streak of finishing in the top 20 for every 2024 race come to an end during the final lap of the July 7 race in Chicago, where he finished 21st. This setback was followed by another disappointment in the July 14 Pocono race, where Elliott and three other drivers, including his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, were penalized for speeding during the final stage. This speeding penalty, which was Elliott’s first in 92 races, occurred in a section of the track that had caused confusion earlier when teams conducted their pit-road runs.
Elliott’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson, expressed his frustration with NASCAR’s decision over the team radio, indicating that he believed the speed trap was inaccurate. When Elliott inquired about the extent of his speeding, Gustafson informed him that he was 16 miles per hour over the limit. Elliott was puzzled by this, noting that his speed had not felt different from earlier in the day when everything had seemed fine.
Gustafson elaborated that the speed zone in question had been problematic from the start of the day, suggesting that the drivers were “flying blind” due to the inaccuracies. He criticized NASCAR for not acknowledging their mistake, emphasizing that the error had been evident throughout the race. Despite the penalty, Gustafson advised Elliott not to dwell on it, although the incident clearly left both the driver and his crew chief dissatisfied with the handling of the speed zone issue.
