Before he was Most Popular, before the 2020 title, Chase Elliott had one of the most frustrating near-wins in recent memory. In just his second full-time season, Elliott had the Monster in his sights at Dover — until a late-race heartbreaker stunned fans and delayed his long-awaited breakthrough.

• Chase looked poised to finally break through in his sophomore season, but what happened?
• A veteran driver threw an unexpected block that changed everything
• One of NASCAR’s biggest stars came storming in from seconds back
• The final two laps flipped the race — and Elliott’s emotions — upside down

This was the moment many fans learned that talent alone wasn’t enough in Cup. Elliott had the car, the lead, and the momentum — but Newman’s defense and Busch’s tenacity proved too much. The sting didn’t last forever, though. Chase came back and conquered Dover in 2018, settling the score with Miles the Monster. But that 2017 race? Still one of the great “almost” moments in recent NASCAR memory.

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