“No desire to quit,” was the motto that drove Chase Elliott through 2024. Rick Hendrick’s star had faced a string of setbacks in 2023, which resulted in a failure to crack the playoffs. But the way Elliott powered through this disaster was a marvel to speak about for ages. His 2024 victory run – involving a Texas trophy, 19 top-tens, and 11 top-fives – is only the start of his redemption.
We all witnessed what a force of resilience Chase Elliott represented at the Bowman Gray Clash race. He led for 171 of the 200 laps, overcoming all his hard-charging rivals. This marks a good sign as we head into the main Cup Series season, with an expert dropping a bold prediction.
Chase Elliott offering a dazzling promise
Everybody faces some setback or another in life. But what distinguishes the winners is the way they tackle those problems. Chase Elliott fractured his tibia in a snowboarding accident in early 2023, which sidelined him for six races. Then, after intentionally wrecking Denny Hamlin at Charlotte, NASCAR parked him for one more race. Yet Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team stuck together amidst these daunting times. They clocked in more hours and worked harder – and Elliott broke a 42-race winless streak in Texas in 2024. That glory streak continued till the end of the season and has broken into the 2025 scene as well.
As a result, Chase Elliott looks like a Cup Series star as indomitable as never before. This led NASCAR expert Eric Estepp to issue a bold prediction for the Phoenix Raceway finale in 2025: “Chase Elliott wins the regular season championship.”
Then he backed up his bold claim of a second Cup Series title, with statistics that Elliott has consistently put forward. “And no, this isn’t just because he won the Bowman Gray Clash…In 2024, Chase Elliott had an 11.7 average finish – best in the Cup Series, extremely consistent. He led 217 laps in the final three races – had an average finish of 5th.”
Chase Elliott dominating the Cook Out Clash and fending off defending winner Denny Hamlin and hard-charger Ryan Blaney must have impressed Rick Hendrick. Estepp continued, “This year in the Clash, he led 171 laps and got the victory. It’s not just what he did last weekend, it’s what he did at the end of 2024. It’s a really small sample size, but I really like this trajectory.” What is more, 2023 was just a blip in Elliott’s glorious radar:
“Before Chase Elliott got injured in 2023, he had made three straight Championship 4 appearances – 2020, 2021, 2022. He’s 100%, I think he’s fully focused, great relationship with veteran crew chief Alan Gustafson.” So the evidence is heavy, and Elliott needs to do what he is doing.
And he is too eager to do just that – as he ran out of patience at anything other than racing.
Elliott’s enthusiasm is bubbling out of control
Well, is not that the mark of a true racer? You can find the evidence easily in NASCAR’s rich history. Legendary racer Richard Petty was never fully satiated, and that led him to clinch 200 Cup race wins. Dale Earnhardt raced at his fullest until his very last breath. Similarly, Chase Elliott’s passion for racing is spilling out into other avenues as well. The 2020 Cup Series champion conducted a preseason shoot with his No. 9 HMS Chevrolet team. While sharing the snazzy photos on Instagram, he took a sly jab at his off-racing obligations. We could sense him clenching his teeth in impatience as he wrote, “Can we go racing now?”
Chase Elliott’s frustration is thoroughly understandable, as he has a point to prove. The seven-time Most Popular Driver will take it personally if a season turns out rotten. He needs to stay true to his loyal fanbase and keep displaying the numbers on the racetrack. That determination is what got him the best average start in 2024 and a 7th place in the championship standings. Elliott commented on his progress recently: “Honestly, I think from my perspective and where I’m at in my career right now is just trying to get more competitive on a weekly basis.”
Evidently, Chase Elliott is more determined than ever before. We do not know if a second Cup Series title in 2025 is his fate, but we do not doubt Elliott’s unbridled energy.
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