Chase Elliott isn’t concerned about the higher speeds seen so far this weekend at Dover International Speedway.
The new Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rules package has increased speeds around the one-mile concrete oval with the taller spoilers and added down force. Some drivers have voiced questions about what the increased speeds might do to competition while others have expressed safety concerns.
But Elliott isn’t spending any time on the subject either way.
“You’re paid to go fast so let’s go fast, I guess,” Elliott said Friday at Dover. “It’s not fun hitting something real hard anytime you do. Certainly isn’t going to be when you do it at these speeds. It’s definitely physical for sure. I think this is going to be a very, very physical race on Sunday, especially if the sun comes out and it’s hot.
“It’s fast. Is it too fast? Like I said, this is our job. It’s what we signed up for.”
The Hendrick Motorsports driver comes to Dover with a great deal of momentum after his Geico 500 win a week ago at Talladega Superspeedway. It was Elliott’s first trip to Victory Lane this season and it was Chevrolet’s first win of the campaign as well.
Elliott is looking for a second straight Dover win after his triumph last fall at the “Monster Mile.” However even with last week’s win under his best and the memories of winning last year at Dover, Elliott remains convinced his team needs to step things up even more to be in the thick of things this year.
“I still don’t think we’re winning often enough,” he said. “I feel like we need to be contending more. I see some of our competitors being in contention more than we have been throughout the season. I think we can certainly do a better job.
“To have a win this early in the year I think is nice. And just because we won at Dover and Kansas last year doesn’t mean we’re going to go run good there, too. You know that. It’s going to be hit or miss. We’re going to go there, see what we have.”
