Chase Elliott finally broke his streak without victories at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2024, ending a drought of 42 races without going up to first place. “Oh, man, I couldn’t feel better,” he said after crossing the goal. However, it was not an easy victory, with 16 yellow flags that altered the development of the race. Despite the chaos, #9 managed to stay in front, surpassing Brad Keselowski and William Byron to ensure his place in the playoffs.
Kyle Larson racing posters
But at the beginning of the 2025 season, Elliott seems to be facing some problems, something that Jeff Gordon, vice president of Hendrick Motorsports, has not been able to ignore. What is happening with the HMS pilot? In the first six races of the year, he only led 2 laps, while Byron led 111, Larson 92 and Bowman 62. In addition, his last performance in Homestead-Miami Speedway was disappointing, ending in 18 position while his teammates fought for victory. To top it off, Elliott received a penalty for a dangerous maneuver in the Pit Lane, his second consecutive sanction.
While Byron remains a threat in each race and Larson comes from winning in Homestead-Miami, Elliott is in the sixth position of the championship. A high position in general terms, but below Hendrick Motorsports standards.
After the race, Jeff Gordon was consulted on the performance of the team #9: “They had a great impulse since last year, they started well … but in recent weeks they have been frustrating for them. They are a solid team and with great confidence, but they must overcome the difficult moments.” Even so, Gordon did not hide his concern: “In Hendrick we have very high standards, and if you are not achieving what you expect, you know you have to work more.”
This is even more disappointing considering Elliott’s resurgence in 2024. After 2023 without victories, he achieved an outstanding comeback with seven top-10 in the playoffs. Although he did not reach the championship race, his constancy made him one of the best grid pilots. Therefore, its difficult start in 2025 has surprised many. Despite winning the Cook Out Clash in Bowman Gray, their subsequent actions have been inconsistent and the penalties have affected their performance.
Elliott himself recognizes his lack of regularity. Before the race in Homestead-Miami, he admitted: “The first weeks were good, we had fast cars, but we collided in the first three races of the season. I will not say that in Phoenix or Las Vegas it went well, because it was not so.”
While working to improve its performance, Elliott has also expressed his opinion on the debate of tires in Nascar. The category has experienced with softer compounds to improve short circuits races, with opinions divided among the pilots. Elliott, however, believes that change is positive: “It seems that it has improved, and is largely due to tires. We may be on the right path.”
With the Nascar addressing Martinsville, Elliott has a new opportunity to change his fate. Can #9 recover your best version or will you continue to fight for your teammates?
