Chase Elliott has urged NASCAR to increase the number of off weekends throughout the season, believing it would be for the good of the sport.

Cup Series drivers have had just one weekend off this season, making it a gruelling challenge for drivers.

Drivers had the Easter weekend off in April, a quarter of the way through the season, meaning they are in the midst of a relentless run to November’s championship finale. The playoffs begin at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, and Elliott is excited to move on from the “stale” regular season.

Elliott starts the postseason in seventh place after one win and seven top-10 finishes in the regular season.

He qualified in 21st place for the Cook Out Southern 500, and ahead of the race he made his feelings clear on the Cup Series’ hectic schedule.

“Increasing the off-weekends for everyone, and I think it would be a win for everyone and make people hungrier for what we have and what we do. So I think it’ll be a healthy thing,” he told ‘The Teardown.’

When asked if the current schedule leaves him and his rivals feeling burnt out, he replied: “I think it’s natural for that a little bit. Probably not as much as it could be for certain roles.

“Like the truck drivers and the guys that are on the road constantly. I think that would definitely be a really tough spot. I give those guys a lot of credit, like that whole Mexico City to Pocono (2,528 miles) deal this year was just incredible.

“I felt terrible for what they had to endure to make those shows go on. And they are the reason the show does go on, and I think that’s always important to remember.” The 29-year-old’s concerns will be slightly reduced next season, with two off weeks in the 2026 schedule.

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Elliott insists he has no desire to race less, but he believes more breaks would significantly benefit drivers as well as reduce the potential for fan weariness caused by the relentlessness of the current schedule.

He continued: “People sometimes are like, ‘Well, of course you want less races. You don’t want to work as much.’ Not true.

“I’m fine running 50 races. Great, let’s run 50 races between February and Labor Day. Weeknights, whatever you want to do. I’m totally fine racing as much as you want to race. I just think the calendar year time we burn up is what we could help with in creating some hunger in those off months.”