Chase Elliott is under pressure heading into the 2025 Xfinity 500 at Martinsville, sitting last among the Round of 8 contenders and 62 points below the cutline for the Championship 4.
Elliott will start eighth on Sunday, but has shown speed, topping the practice charts with a lap of 95.796 mph, edging out Denny Hamlin's 95.791.
"I mean, the goal is to be fast enough where you don’t have to do wild stuff... Like you don’t ever want to put yourself in a position where you’re having to throw Hail Marys."
Elliott's approach to the must-win race is to focus on raw speed rather than aggression.
Chase Elliott faces pressure at Martinsville.