2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott is currently one of the top contenders to be crowned champion. After ending his 42-race winning streak at Texas Motor Speedway, Elliott now plans to end a new streak at the Next Generation Circuit in Sonoma.
With 19 wins in about 10 Cup Series seasons to date, Elliott is one of the most established racers on the grid. His confident run from 24th to 1st in the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 race in April was one of the best displays of his racing talent. Elliott has also performed well at superspeedways such as Talladega and Daytona over the years. But the No. 9 driver has yet to crack the code on the next-gen road course.
With good results and a good run overall this season, Elliott is looking forward to winning the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. Speaking with Frontstretch’s Phil Allaway at the World Wide Technology Raceway Media Center, the Hendrick Motorsports driver said:
“Yeah, I’d like to think we have a chance to go out there (Sonoma Raceway) and win. It’s basically a new route for all of us except for the three drivers who did the testing.” [0:11 continued
Elliott went on to explain why he needs a few more practice laps on the newly paved track.
He also explained how the brakes will affect such a new-gen system with longer straights and harder braking zones. Here’s a quick look back at Chase Elliott’s 2024 season so far.
After the heartbreak of missing the playoffs last year, Chase Elliott entered the 2024 season under a cloud of uncertainty. He got off to a tepid start this year, finishing second in Duel 1 at Daytona and missing the top 10 in three of the first five races.
Since then, the Georgia-based Elliott has won a race at Texas Motor Speedway, earned seven top 10s and four top fives, and is currently fourth in the drivers’ standings with a total of 475 points. . Aside from the pivotal AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 race, where Elliott earned 45 points, highlights of the 2024 season included the GEICO 500, Würth 400 and AdventHealth 400, where he earned 34, 40 and 35 points, respectively.
His win at Texas from 24th and his fifth-place finish at Dover from 29th showed his exceptional ability as a racing driver. After finishing eighth in the All-Star Race and seventh at a rain-shortened race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Hendrick Motorsports driver will be looking to add to his points haul next week at World Wide Technology Raceway and Sonoma Raceway.
