Elliott, Suarez to the Rear After Tire Issues in Practice

LAS VEGAS — Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez will start in the rear of the NASCAR Cup Series field Sunday after experiencing tire issues in practice at Las Vegas.

Early in Group A practice Saturday, Chase Elliott entered turn three and drifted up the track and hit the wall.

Elliott damaged the right-rear quarter panel and right-front fender. His team is preparing a backup car for the South Point 400.

In Group B practice, on the opposite end of the track, Daniel Suarez ran into the same issue.

Exiting turn two, Suarez reportedly felt he had a tire issue and backed out of the gas. It was too late, as he snapped sideways and hit the inside wall.

Suarez was OK. The car was not, as the team rolled out a backup car. Goodyear officials were immediately near the car when the tow truck brought it back.

While there are some concerns over the tire issues, the issues stem from trying lower air pressures early in the weekend to find the limits of the tires.

The issues did send concerns through the garage area.

“It’s concerning, especially when you see someone like Chase Elliott blow a right-rear tire and then Daniel Suarez had issues. Our tires looked good, though, but we will see,” pole sitter Christopher Bell said.

Elliott and Suarez will start 35th and 36th in the NASCAR Cup Series’ South Point 400 Sunday at Las Vegas.