Chase Elliott’s ‘Personal Photography’ is Enough
Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott finished third in the Cookout 400 at Martinsville Speedway, despite being unable to end his winning streak with two laps remaining in the 415-lap race. It looked like he had that in mind.
Game 9 was held on the 8th weekend of the Cup Series.
The Chevrolet driver secured his second consecutive top-five finish after a dismal start to the season. His teammate William Byron celebrated his third win of the year, followed by Kyle Larson in second. Sunday ended on perhaps the best possible note for HMS. That’s because the trifecta ended with a 1-2-3 result.
The Georgia native started the run in third place and took the lead on lap 413. However, with just two laps until the checkered flag dropped, his teammates swooped past in their Chevrolet-powered cars, finishing ahead of Chase Elliott. Finishing third despite having the lead at Lap 413 would’ve apparently stung the 28-year-old and according to Josh Sims from Fox Sports and SiriusXM’s Davey Segal, this very moment could serve as a base for ending the 2020 Cup Series champion’s winless drought since the 2023 season.
During the discussion, Sims said (0.49):
Chase has really taken it to heart and worked harder…when you see your teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron going out there dominating, you take that type of stuff personally and it looks like to that point Chase is taking it personal and he’s starting to get back to the point where he’s obviously clicking.”
The previous year was arguably the worst season for the HMS driver so far. Not only did Elliott get trapped in a snowboarding incident that fractured his tibia and cost him six Cup Series races, but his season ended at the worst rank ever at P17.
With his entry into the 2024 season, the #9 Chevrolet Camaro driver eyed a promising outcome but failed to find his mojo until the seventh Cup Series race at the Richmond Raceway. Chase Elliott finished fifth on the 0.75-mile asphalt, becoming the only Hendrick Motorsports driver without a top-five finish this season. Elliott should be able to win the next race at Martinsville Speedway. However, he was unable to maintain his lead over William Byron and Kyle Larson, each of whom later passed him in a one-two. After the near miss at Martinsville, Chase Elliott emphasized the “positive” aspects of the trip, saying (via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on X):
