Chase Elliott explains why he can’t run the All-American 400 for Ricky Turner

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott recently appeared in an interview with NASCAR journalist Steven Taranto. During the interaction, Elliott explained why he can't compete in the All-American 400 for Ricky Turner this season.

Previously, the #9 Chevy Camaro ZL1 driver expressed his wish to compete in the event for Turner. The All-American 400 is scheduled after the Cup Series finale, and Elliott claimed he didn't know that. Later, when the HMS driver asked Turner, he learned that Jake Garcia had already committed to compete in the event.

Following that, Chase Elliott stepped back, giving the defending champion, Jake Garcia, the chance to compete in the event. Reflecting on the same, the 2020 Cup Series champion told the press:

"I don't, honestly, right now. We had talked about the All-American at a couple different points, but I think it was after you mentioned it to me, actually, because I had no idea. Typically it was always like in early October or mid-October, and our season's always been going on. But anyways, inquired about it. I had interest. I love The Fairgrounds." "Jake was pretty committed to doing it and wanted to do it. He had kind of got there first. That was totally fine. But I don't have any plans or really haven't talked about anything past that," he concluded.

Chase Elliott further pointed out that Jake Garcia will also compete in the Snowball Derby for Turner's team. Following that, Elliott said he might consider competing in the Cordele SpeedFest scheduled for January 2026. However, the Cup Series driver hasn't made a decision and will decide sometime next month, keeping up with the schedule.

---

“It would be better than what we have”: Chase Elliott got candid about the 2026 rumored playoff format

In September 2025, ahead of the Darlington race, NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott sat down in an interview with stock car journalist Dalton Hopkins. During the pre-race interaction, Elliott shared his perspective on the rumored playoff format for the 2026 season.

The current playoff format features a 3-3-3-1 system with three races each round before the Championship 4 race. Each round eliminates four drivers till only four remain to compete in the title race. However, NASCAR might change the format for the 2026 season to keep the sport engaging.

Reflecting on the same, Chase Elliott told the press:

"I think it would be better than what we have... Because you just have a larger amount of races at around to decide. You know, it could, it would, seemingly, would give an opportunity to, you know, have something that's totally out of somebody's hands, not completely derail their championship. What is now, you know, their shop. So, it seems like, is it perfect? Probably not. But I would say that that sounds better."

Chase Elliott has been driving for Hendrick Motorsports since 2015. He initially drove the #25 Chevy in his debut season as a part-time driver for the team. Then, in his sophomore season, he landed a full-time seat in the #24 Chevy and then transitioned to the #9 in the 2018 season.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Edited by Karan Yadav