Chase Elliott addresses controversial NASCAR penalty ahead of Martinsville race

NASCAR star Chase Elliott has addressed the controversial penalty handed to him last time out at Homestead when speaking to the media ahead of Sunday's Cook Out 400.

Elliott will start on the front row for the 400-lap race at Martinsville Speedway after qualifying second on Saturday, but the driver of the No. 9 car will be looking to avoid a repeat of the punishment handed to him last weekend.

On lap 169 of last Sunday's race, Elliott was hit with a penalty by NASCAR after not entering pit road in a single-file line, dropping him down to 18th position at the time.

At the time of being handed the punishment, the No. 9 driver fumed over the radio to his team.

"Just have them look at it because I gave the spot back," Elliott said.

"They all checked up. I moved left to not run in the back of someone, and then I gave him the spot back before I even turned down. Just have 'em look at it. That's a very reasonable thing.”

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Chase Elliott on Homestead penalty

Naturally, Elliott was quizzed on his punishment ahead of this weekend's action at Martinsville, but the Hendrick Motorsports star offered a very reasoned response.

"At the end of the day, it's the rule," Elliott told the media. "I understand it. At the end of the day, I take responsibility for it.

"I've not heard that one be called a lot, and I think in my defense, if I was going to have a defense, was just that I, in no way shape or form was trying to gain an advantage."

Elliott continued: "I think the rule is really there to keep someone from getting a half a car length on a guy and then pulling in his pit stall and having that half-a-car length advantage of time,"

"It's all time, right, line to line on pit road. Any little bit you can get is big, totally understand that, and if I had pulled off next to him, absolutely, I get it.

"I just...pit road stacks up so bad, just like when you're sitting in traffic right, the people up front stop and every car you go backward the accordion gets worse, so, me being mid-pack [or] wherever we were, I knew the accordion was gonna happen.

"I was out of line left and just trying not to run over the person in front of me."

The Hendrick Motorsports star concluded: "I totally get it. I'm not arguing it at all, I just wish I could redo it,"

"I'd just hate for us to tear up a car coming to pit road, knocking the nose off it or whatever.

"That's all I was trying to avoid."

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