“We Can Do Whatever We Want” Crew Chief Chase Elliott Aims for “Aggressive” Approach at Charlotte ROVAL Without Playoff Pressure

As the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs heat up heading into the Round of 8, Chase Elliott and his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team are entering the Bank of America ROVAL 400 with a rare luxury: freedom. With their advancement already locked in thanks to a dramatic victory at Kansas Speedway last weekend, crew chief Alan Gustafson is embracing an unbridled mindset for the October 5 showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s challenging road course. “We can do whatever we want,” Gustafson declared during a recent interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, encapsulating the team’s liberated strategy devoid of the usual playoff point-scraping constraints.

This shift in approach marks a stark contrast to previous seasons, where Elliott’s squad often navigated high-stakes elimination battles with cautious precision. In 2025, however, the 2020 Cup Series champion has scripted a resurgence that positions him at the forefront of the postseason. His triumph at Kansas—the Hollywood Casino 400 on September 28—not only punched his ticket to the next round but also vaulted him to the lead in the playoff standings. Starting from 10th after a qualifying penalty, Elliott methodically climbed through the pack, capitalizing on a late-race shove from teammate William Byron to surge into contention. In overtime’s frantic final laps, he outdueled Denny Hamlin for the win, edging out a field that included Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, and Bubba Wallace in a photo-finish thriller. “Yeah, it was crazy just the way it all kind of went,” Elliott reflected post-race. “We were eighth, gave up a row to start 10th… but yeah, it kind of all started on the restart. The six gave me a good shove; I was able to get top three off the 24.” That grit propelled him to his second victory of the year, following an emotional breakthrough at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier in the season that snapped a 44-race winless drought.

Elliott’s 2025 campaign has been a testament to resilience and redemption. Sitting fifth in the overall Cup Series points with 3,104 tallies—bolstered by 10 top-fives and 16 top-10s in 31 starts—the Dawsonville, Georgia native has rediscovered the form that once made him NASCAR’s most popular driver. Yet, it’s the playoffs where his star shines brightest this fall. As the only driver yet to face elimination pressure in the Round of 12, Elliott enters Charlotte with a 52-point cushion over the cutline, allowing Gustafson to dream big. “So this should be whatever we want to do, right? We don’t have to worry about any of that,” the veteran crew chief elaborated. “And we can short the stages. We can run into the stages, we can do whatever we want to do, and it’s going to have no impact on the fact we make the transfer to the next round this year.” Gustafson’s enthusiasm underscores a pivotal mindset: with survival assured, the focus narrows to outright victory, a necessity for any championship aspirant in the Round of 8.

The Charlotte ROVAL, a 2.28-mile hybrid beast blending infield road sections with the historic oval, has long been a proving ground for Elliott’s road-racing prowess. Since its debut in 2018, the track has hosted some of NASCAR’s most chaotic and memorable afternoons, and Elliott has thrived amid the pandemonium. His crowning jewel came in 2019, when he orchestrated one of the sport’s greatest comebacks, rallying from a lap down in the final stage to steal the checkered flag from Ryan Blaney by mere inches. That win, sealed after a green-white-checkered restart frenzy, not only advanced him in the playoffs but cemented his reputation as a clutch performer on twisty layouts. Elliott has since added another ROVAL trophy to his collection, dominating the 2023 edition with a wire-to-wire masterclass that showcased his affinity for the course’s 17 turns. Across six starts at the venue, his average finish hovers around third, a statistic that belies the track’s reputation for unpredictability—where contact in the chicane or a mistimed brake into the esses can upend even the strongest cars.

For Gustafson, this history amplifies the allure of unleashing aggression. “Excited about that, and excited for the chance to be aggressive there,” he continued. “I think really in the position we’re in—really in any competitor moving into the Round of Eight—you’ve got to win. So I think to keep that the focus, you know, every race on just strictly win the race is a good thing.” This philosophy could manifest in bold pit calls, like staying out during caution periods to gain track position, or pushing the No. 9 Chevrolet’s setup to its limits on the ROVAL’s elevation changes. Without the specter of points deductions from stage finishes, the team can gamble on fresh rubber or fuel strategies that prioritize speed over safety nets.

Hendrick Motorsports’ dominance adds another layer to the narrative. With teammates Kyle Larson fresh off a 2024 ROVAL victory and William Byron contributing key assists like the Kansas push, Elliott benefits from a stable of talent that elevates the entire organization. Yet, Gustafson tempers the optimism with realism: the ROVAL’s tight confines demand flawless execution, and rivals like Hamlin—fresh off a runner-up at Kansas—and Bell, who sits second in playoff points, won’t yield easily. As the field shrinks to eight contenders for the upcoming rounds at Las Vegas and Martinsville, Elliott’s aggressive foray could set the tone for a title run reminiscent of his 2020 championship charge.

Beyond the strategy, this moment resonates personally for Elliott. After injury-plagued setbacks and a 2023 season mired in inconsistency, his 2025 revival feels like poetic justice. Fans, who voted him Most Popular Driver for the eighth straight year, sense the momentum building toward Phoenix’s finale. “You’ve got to win” isn’t just Gustafson’s mantra—it’s the Elliott ethos distilled. At Charlotte, with nothing to lose and everything to gain, the No. 9 team will race not for survival, but for supremacy. In a playoffs defined by pressure, their “whatever we want” edict could redefine the chase.