Chase Elliott’s 2025 playoff run has been anything but smooth sailing. After a regular season that finally saw him back in rhythm, with consistent top-fives and that electric Bristol Night Race win, his postseason ride has felt more like a high-speed balancing act than a victory lap. Kansas and Texas brought flashes of hope, but Las Vegas delivered a harsh reality check, shoving him below the cutline just as the stakes hit their peak.

Now, with Talladega’s chaos and Martinsville’s tight corners on the horizon, Elliott faces the kind of do-or-die stretch that defines champions. Yet, even amid the pressure, NASCAR’s quiet strategist seems to have boiled his situation down to one brutally honest thought, one that says everything about where his head’s at right now.

Chase Elliott has his goa

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