As the winner of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series spring race at Texas Motor Speedway, Chase Elliott should theoretically be optimistic about his odds as the series returns to the 1.5-mile track this weekend.
But Elliott — NASCAR’s perennial most popular driver — has reason to be frustrated and concerned. The same goes for his massive and devoted fan base.
That’s because Elliott is riding an ugly 37-race winless streak into Texas. And before reaching Victory Lane in Fort Worth last April, the Hendrick Motorsports driver had gone 42 races without a win. That means Elliott has triumphed only once in his last 80 NASCAR Cup Series starts. Of the 10 races held in 2025, the second-generation driver has led only three of them — for a total of 45 laps.
Teammate Kyle Larson, by comparison, has spent 506 laps out front this year. Larson has also scored a pair of victories, on the heels of a six-win season in 2024.
So, what is wrong with Elliott? And, more importantly, what needs to happen for him to recapture the form that carried him to the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship and 18 wins between 2018 and 2022?
CHASE ELLIOTT WINS AT TEXAS! pic.twitter.com/6Anw83DuN3
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 14, 2024
For Chase Elliott To Return To Frontrunner Status, Changes Appear Necessary
With only a single points win since the start of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, Chase Elliott is undoubtedly feeling some pressure to up his game. While it’s impossible to know exactly what’s going on within the walls of Hendrick Motorsports, this much is certain: Elliott has race cars capable of letting him collect trophies with regularity.
But it’s just not happening. The question, of course, is why. In fact, his current drought begs several questions:
- Has Elliott lost confidence in himself?
- Is Elliott not focused enough?
- Is Elliott putting in the work needed during the week to finish P1 on Sundays?
- Are Elliott and Alan Gustafson, his crew chief since joining the Cup Series in 2016, still compatible?
- Does owner Rick Hendrick need to do a crew swap between Elliott’s team and another Hendrick team?
No matter the answer to these queries, Elliott is unequivocally capable of being a frequent face in Victory Lane. Nothing is likely to change, though, until some or all of these questions get addressed.
Chase Elliott's last points win came at Texas. So does he come to the track excited because he knows this is where he got his most recent points win or frustrated because of that fact? His thoughts: @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/Mx4CABo3aB
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 1, 2025
Chase Elliott Has Some Reasons For Optimism Despite Struggles
Even though Chase Elliott isn’t winning races, some observers would argue the sky isn’t falling for him.
Consider, for example:
- Elliott sits fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, making him all but a lock for the 2025 playoffs.
- Elliott is the only Cup Series driver this season to finish all 10 races in the top 20. His average finish of 10.9 ranks third best in NASCAR’s premier division.
- Strictly-speaking, Elliott opened 2025 with a win, but it came in a preseason exhibition at Bowman-Gray Stadium.
- Elliott owns six top-10 finishes, including three top-fives, in his 10 starts this season.
- Elliott carries some momentum into Texas this weekend, having finished fifth last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
These positives don’t change the fact that Elliott is underperforming, however. They also don’t negate the reality that major changes are likely necessary for Elliott to return to frontrunner status.
Furthermore, both Elliott and Rick Hendrick must do some soul searching on how to make the No. 9 car once again a force to be reckoned with.
The good news? At just 29 years old, Elliott still has ample opportunity to maximize his talent and reach his full potential in the sport.
But the time to turn it around in a big way is right now.
