Elliott returning to his rightful position at the forefront of the NASCAR lineup.
Chase Elliott finds the perspective through which his performance is assessed, in contrast to his personal experiences, intriguing.
Consider the 2025 season. Elliott and his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports crew commenced the year by securing victory in the exhibition event at Bowman Gray Stadium, an achievement he aims to replicate on Sunday. By the conclusion of the season, although the statistics mirrored those of his 2024 campaign with 19 top-10 finishes and 11 top-five finishes, Elliott had collectively delivered one of his stronger seasons since 2022, particularly in terms of laps led and multiple race victories.
“Clearly, the Clash went exceptionally well, which doesn’t correlate with the statistics,” Elliott remarked to ESPN. “However, that aspect was positive. I felt that some of the initial speedway races were also successful. Honestly, I believe some of the statistics were influenced by the fact that we avoided getting involved in the wrecks. And that skews things, right, when you have fewer numbers early in the season.
“I genuinely didn’t feel our performance peaked until probably the last month or month and a half of the season. That’s when I sensed, ‘Hey, we’re leading some laps and just being more competitive and creating more opportunities for ourselves.’
This is where the disparity arises between external perceptions and how Elliott describes the situation. NASCAR’s most popular driver and 2020 series champion, much like his father, former driver and champion Bill Elliott, tends to maintain a balanced outlook. Chase Elliott communicates directly and has never appeared overly focused on the statistics—whether they favor him or not.
Some might observe that his performance has not been as strong since he sustained a fractured tibia in a skiing accident early in the 2023 season. However, Elliott would argue that he began to lag behind at the end of 2022 (when it became evident what was required to drive the Next Gen car), and it has taken time to regain his footing. Alternatively, one could point out that the team seemed to perform well last year, to which Elliott responds that he did not feel it met its standards until the season’s conclusion.
Thus, the most crucial aspect for Elliott does not appear to be the statistics. It is the sentiment that he and his team are achieving respectable performances, ones that would bring Elliott closer to the form he exhibited from 2018 to 2022, when he was securing multiple race victories each season.
“I felt we were getting closer, for sure,” Elliott stated regarding that progress at the end of 2025. “You always hold high expectations for yourself and your team, so it’s always challenging for me to respond to that. I suppose defining form is difficult. It’s always a ‘What have you done lately?’ That applies in life and certainly in sports.
“It’s more about consistently positioning yourself and doing so every week than the actual win. Your opportunity will come. It won’t always work out for you. … But if you place yourself in that position often enough, it will, and that’s more of what I want to see and what we define as being in form.”
Jeff Gordon, a four-time Cup Series champion and currently the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, recognizes the expectations associated with driving for the prominent organization. He also understands, whether justified or not, that drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Elliott, who possess popularity and a renowned surname, are always anticipated to achieve more.
However, while Gordon acknowledges Elliott and crew chief Alan Gustafson for their ability to tune out external pressures, he noted a different version of Elliott last year.
“More engaged, stepping in, elevating the team, the information he’s providing, and really feeling like this is home for him,” Gordon remarked. “I tell him frequently, ‘You’re a franchise guy. This team is your team.’ He and Alan share a very strong relationship. Alan is an incredibly skilled individual, and I believe it sometimes requires aligning all the right elements at the right moments.
“But I was very impressed with what they accomplished last year. I think it showcased a new perspective on their commitment to one another, to what they need to do, the details necessary to push themselves, push the cars, and understand what our competitors are doing.”
Regarding the idea that the latter part of the season represented Elliott’s best, Gordon echoed the driver’s sentiment that the finale at Phoenix Raceway illustrated that. Elliott led 30 laps and finished 10th, but Gordon, who was positioned at the No. 9 pit box, believed Elliott was the top Hendrick car that day based on his movement throughout the field.
“When you execute a race like that, and you do it over enough races, it builds confidence,” Gordon stated. “And when the final race of the season unfolds like that, even though you’re not in the championship contention, you build on that during the offseason.”
One aspect that Elliott supporters would like to see continue into 2026 is multiple race victories. Elliott secured three wins last year, including the Bowman Gray victory (which did not yield points). However, his two points-paying wins, at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway, marked his return to achieving multiple wins in a single season for the first time since 2022.
Elliott has three victories over the past two seasons, a notable decline after he quickly amassed 18 wins in five seasons (2018 to 2022).
“It’s been a lot of hard work,” Elliott remarked. “There have been numerous challenging weekends and days when you return home feeling miserable, and you just want to, not give up, but figure things out. And I’m not even suggesting figuring it out immediately, but taking it one step at a time.
“Look, Atlanta was a speedway race. Kansas, I felt we were genuinely competitive throughout the day … and for that, I can take pride. We were in the mix, and I can be very proud of that, of the efforts, and of the entire situation. So, I look forward to more weekends like that.”
NASCAR has reinstated the Chase format this season as the method for determining its champion. The final 10 races will feature the top 16 drivers in the standings, resetting the field for championship contention. A race victory also carries more significance, as 15 additional points will be awarded for such an achievement.
Does a format change imply that it is more crucial than ever for a driver to start strong, such as winning at Bowman Gray and maintaining that momentum throughout the year? Given the lengthy nature of the NASCAR season, there will inevitably be numerous ups and downs. Elliott is among those who believe it will all balance out and hopes that includes his team being competitive when the Chase arrives.
“The truly great drivers and teams,” Elliott stated, “will always find their way to where they belong.”
Source: espn.com
