Kyle Larson has been in the spotlight for most of this month. He did the double, missed out on the crown, didn’t get an exemption, and there were rumors that he was fighting with NASCAR. And now he’s exempt, which a lot of people don’t like. But while the headlines are all about him, a recent statistic has turned the tables.
And according to this, he’s facing an unexpected challenge from his own team, none other than Chase Elliott. Elliott has been off his best since the launch of the next-gen car, but it looks like he’s getting the hang of it.
His recent stats point to his return, and Larson might have to prepare to challenge for the championship. This top race also features another foreign player who could pose a challenge to the entire race lineup.
NASCAR’s golden boy vs NASCAR’s most popular driver
Kyle Larson may be NASCAR’s golden boy, but Chase Elliott always gives him tough competition. After all, he is the most popular driver in NASCAR! However, this popular driver continued to have a poor performance in the next generation era.
Moreover, his 2023 season was eventful, as he missed six races due to injury. And to add to his misery, he even had to serve a suspension. Not only did he not win a race, but he also failed to make it into the playoffs, which was a new experience for him. The first time we saw the HMS #9 driver return to the top was when he ended the team’s winning streak at Texas in 2024.
And now, the statistics show that he actually played his best, despite not reaching the podium. He currently has the best average finish for the season, not only among his team members, but among all Cup drivers.
His average completion grade is 9.88 points. Not only is this the best among 2024 drivers, it is also the best average finish Chase Elliott has ever achieved in the 15 races of his Cup Series career.
His average finish is better than the average finishes of Kyle Larson, William Byron and Alex Bowman, all of whom have won multiple races. Kyle Larson has two wins and an average of 12.43. William Byron has three wins and an average of 12.00. And Bowman has an average of 13.47.
He also has five top-five finishes and seven top-seven finishes. Despite leading only 133 laps, Elliott’s impressive results belie his lack of speed. For comparison: his teammate Kyle Larson led 656 laps, and Denny Hamlin led 607. These results boost Elliott’s confidence, but he still has to prepare for the next race, a road race at Sonoma.
Chase Elliott might face a challenge from an overseas racing star!
This season we have a contrasting cast of drivers with multiple podiums. The leader is Denny Hamlin with three wins and 534 points. Next is Kyle Larson with 513 points and two wins in total. Meanwhile, Elliott is far behind the leader with 507 points but only one win.
And he just wants to change that. In a recent interview after Gateway, he spoke of his expectations for the upcoming weekend at Sonoma. He told The Frontstretch: “It’s basically a new track for all of us except for the three drivers who did the testing.
They repaved the circuit, so it’ll be great to practice there on Friday,” he added. It’s important to note that his effort won’t be easy. He hasn’t won on a road course since Road America in 2021. And now they were going to do it in the Next Generation Cars. And this time they had Supercars driver Cam Waters in the mix.
He drives for RFK Racing, and if there’s one thing we know, it’s that Supercars drivers are champions on the race track.
This is their strength, and we’ve seen champion rider Shane van Gisbergen make history at the Chicago Street Race. In his debut, he became the first driver in 60 years to win a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2023.
And Cam Waters has over 250 starts as a Supercars driver, winning 11 races and finishing the year with two runner-up finishes, so who’s to say he can’t do what his Supercars colleagues have done? “For me, this opportunity is a dream come true, and considering that NASCAR and the Cup Series have a global audience, it’s not something I’m going to take lightly.” So, you’re going to have a pretty tough time finding Chase Elliott! What do you mean? Let me know in the comments who you’re rooting for at the next race.
