From 2018 to 2021, Chase Elliott was considered NASCAR’s road course king.
With seven road course wins in four seasons, he was always considered a favorite to win when NASCAR navigated the twists and turns of these tracks.
However, Elliott has not won on a road course in the next-gen car since it debuted in 2022, but that could change with Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 race at Sonoma (California) Raceway.
Elliott bounced back in 2024, winning five races and making his third consecutive Championship Four appearance in 2022.
2023 was a season marred by injuries and suspensions, but after missing the playoffs last season, the 28-year-old driver was one of the Cup Series’ most consistent drivers and even returned to victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway.
While Elliott “only” has seven top-10 finishes in the Cup Series’ first 15 races this season, he doesn’t have a finish worse than 19th and has a championship-level average finish of 9.9.
Sitting third in the regular-season standings, 27 points back of leader Denny Hamlin, Elliott should be focused on gathering playoff points as the schedule heats up this summer.
Sonoma is one of the lone road courses that Elliott has failed to conquer in his young Cup Series career, but he has the best average finish (12.1) of all active Cup Series drivers at the California road course.
In seven Sonoma starts, Elliott has collected three top-fives, five top-10s and led 49 laps.
While Elliott will certainly have stiff competition Sunday from the likes of Joe Gibbs Racing, 23XI Racing and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates — William Byron and Kyle Larson — all signs point to Elliott finally reclaiming a road-course crown that has changed hands multiple times since his last trip to victory lane.
Elliott has proved he can win in the Next Gen car, but reassessing road courses has led to more parity when NASCAR chooses to turn left and right.
Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr. and A.J. Allmendingers have taken advantage of Elliott’s relative difficulties to win at the track.
The return of the man who was once far and away NASCAR’s best racer on the track should send shivers through the garage.
Elliott has checked all the boxes in what was seen as a season of redemption, and his first track win in a Gen 7 NASCAR car would be just the bonus of a season in which a perennial title contender has emerged. One of NASCAR’s best confirmed:
