It hasn’t been easy for Chase Elliott. While his Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron have secured triumphs in the Cup Series, the No. 9 Chevy driver has looked on from the sidelines, watching his teammates compete for the silverware. Even Alex Bowman was in contention for a victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway before being overtaken by ‘Yung Money’ at the 2025 Straight Talk Wireless 400. As things stand, Byron (244), Larson (208), and Bowman (205) occupy the top three spots in the driver’s standing, while Elliott (181) is sixth. That’s not a good look for the NASCAR Cup Series’ Most Popular Driver, is it?
While his rival, Christopher Bell, continued his dominant start to the season with another lightning-fast lap across the 0.526-mile track, Elliott showed a glimmer of hope that he might have found some speed again. Could the 29-year-old go on to challenge his Joe Gibbs Racing rival for a race win at Martinsville Speedway?
Chase Elliott is determined to change the narrative
It was long overdue! After a frustrating start, Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott seems to be finally hitting his stride in the Cup Series. Unlike his rival, Christopher Bell, the No. 9 Chevy driver, is yet to notch up a win despite competing in six races, having struggled with both speed and handling of his vehicle. However, if recent performances are anything to go by, it seems like the Georgia native may have finally tuned a corner, after finishing second in qualifying ahead of the Cook Out 400.
Chase Elliott entered the race weekend determined to change his fortunes and got off to a flying start. Even though Christopher Bell took the pole with 19.718 seconds, Elliott wasn’t left too far behind, getting a lap time of 19.735 seconds, qualifying second ahead of the 2025 Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Driving like a man on a mission, Elliott was determined to prove a point as he looked to break his unflattering record of securing just one victory in the last two seasons. In some ways, the Georgia native’s slow start has been somewhat of a surprise, especially since he triumphed at ‘The Clash,’ a preseason exhibition race at the Bowman Gray Stadium.
NEWS: Christopher Bell wins the pole for Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway for his first pole of 2025 and 14th of his Cup career.
Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott will start second. #NASCAR
— Chris Knight (@Knighter01) March 29, 2025
Acknowledging his struggles, Hendrick Motorsports Vice President Jeff Gordon said, “The last couple of weeks probably were a little bit frustrating for them.” The four-time Cup Series champ also said, “If you’re not achieving what you want to achieve, then you know you’ve got to go to work, and you know that you’re not meeting expectations. So those guys (Gustafson and Elliott) have high expectations. It’s not unusual for them to get down a little bit on, ‘Hey, this isn’t good enough,’ but I’ve seen them react really well and positively to that too.”
Chase Elliott is also the only HMS driver to finish in the top-10 in each of the last three spring races at Martinsville but could not secure a win here in the Next-Gen car during spring races. His last and only win at Martinsville was in 2020, during his Championship run, when he dominated the playoff race, leading 236 laps en route to victory. Despite no wins in the spring, Elliott has finished in the top 3 in the last two Martinsville races, and HMS’ performance here last season shows a trend of dominance.
Last year, Hendrick Motorsports scored a 1-2-3 finish at The Paperclip in the spring race. They managed to continue that level of dominance by securing the second, third, and fourth spots on the grid in qualifying on Saturday. Along with Elliott in the front row, Alex Bowman secured third place, while Homestead-Miami winner Kyle Larson ended up fourth. Denny Hamlin, who has five wins at Martinsville Speedway, more than any other active driver, claimed fifth spot. Meanwhile, with three Cup Series wins already, Christopher Bell is continuing his dominance in his first pole of 2025 and the 14th of his Cup career.
Bell opens up after dominant run at Martinsville Speedway
What a start Christopher Bell has had in the Cup Series. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver secured three consecutive victories at Atlanta, Circuit of The Americas, and Phoenix Raceway, equaling his win tally from the 2024 campaign in 14 fewer races. To say that the No. 20 Toyota has been dominant would be an understatement, as the Oklahoman has been the standout performer at NASCAR’s highest level in the opening six fixtures, even though results in Las Vegas and Homestead-Miami have seen a drop in form.
However, it was business as usual for Bell at Martinsville Speedway. Even though Hendrick Motorsports dominated the top five, the 30-year-old was marginally faster than Chase Elliott to finish first in qualifying. Sharing his thoughts, he said, “That was definitely the best qualifying session I’ve ever felt out of my car here at Martinsville. It was just easy. I’ve been really good at qualifying in the 20s, (but) I went out there and the car had so much grip. It just cut a really good lap. Really proud of everyone on this #20 team.”
One of Christopher Bell‘s biggest advantages is that the number 1 pit stall is granted to the pole sitter (should they want it), which could prove to be a big factor because of how close it is to the pit lane exit. “I’m excited about it,” said Bell, referring to the pit stall selection. “It’s funny. I was sitting in the car looking at that number one pit stall, and I said: ‘Man, that would be nice’.” However, with Chase Elliott hot on his heels, the Oklahoman will need to keep an eye on his rearview mirror to keep his Hendrick Motorsports rival at bay. Who do you think will prevail at The Paperclip this weekend? Let us know in the comments!
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