Chase Elliott’s difficulties with the Next-Gen car have left many puzzled. Once a dominant force on road courses, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has struggled to find victory in this format since the Generation 6 car was retired. Elliott holds the record for the most road course wins among active drivers, with seven triumphs, but has yet to claim a road course victory in the Next-Gen era. It’s surprising, considering that he ranks just behind NASCAR legends Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon in overall road course victories. So how could a driver who once excelled on these tracks suddenly hit a rough patch?
As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Watkins Glen International, a venue where Elliott first tasted road course success, there’s a chance for redemption. The question on many fans’ minds is: can Elliott finally overcome these challenges and get back to Victory Lane at a track where he has historically thrived?
### Did the Next-Gen Car End Elliott’s Road Course Dominance?
Like Shane van Gisbergen, Elliott’s NASCAR career initially saw him dominate road courses. His first career Cup Series victory came at Watkins Glen in 2018, and he successfully defended his title there in 2019, leading 80 of the 90 laps in an impressive display. Over the years, he built a solid resume of road course wins, claiming victories at Daytona, the Charlotte Roval, Circuit of The Americas, and Road America. Elliott’s performance on these tracks earned him a reputation as a road course specialist.
However, the introduction of the Next-Gen car in 2022 seemed to change everything. According to data shared by NASCAR content creator Eric Estepp, Elliott went from four consecutive road course wins to none since the new car was introduced. But that doesn’t mean Elliott’s performances have been entirely lackluster. Estepp pointed out that Elliott still boasts the second-best average starting position and the best average running position on road courses over the last three years, excluding the Chicago race. Furthermore, Elliott has led a significant number of laps in the Next-Gen era, providing a more nuanced view of his recent struggles.
Although Elliott hasn’t captured a win recently, his road course skills remain top-notch. On any given day, he is more than capable of competing with drivers like Tyler Reddick and Shane van Gisbergen. This means his chances at the upcoming Watkins Glen race shouldn’t be dismissed. Entering the second race of the Round of 16 in the playoffs, Elliott sits eighth in the standings, 24 points above the cut line for the Round of 12. A win at Watkins Glen isn’t out of the question, but Elliott has faced challenges this season, including failing to secure a top-five finish in the last 10 races.
### Elliott’s Call for Change in NASCAR
Outside of his on-track performance, Elliott has also voiced opinions about the structure of NASCAR. In particular, he believes that NASCAR can learn a lot from how college football organizes its season. While the two sports are vastly different, Elliott thinks NASCAR should adopt some of college football’s strategies for building anticipation among fans. College football’s short but highly anticipated season creates excitement, and Elliott believes NASCAR could benefit from this approach.
Speaking on The Teardown podcast, Elliott said, “I think the first thing is the length of the season. They get a lot in, and when I say length of the season, I’m not necessarily talking about the number of races. But just the amount of calendar year that you burn in doing it. Their season is fairly short right, and when it rolls back around, it’s exciting. It’s been waiting all year for this, and I think that’s cool. Our sport could use a little more of ‘Man, I missed that.’”
Elliott’s suggestion is that NASCAR could create a greater sense of excitement by scheduling more breaks in the season, so fans don’t take the Cup Series for granted. In his view, having occasional off weekends would make the return of racing even more special and draw in more viewers and attendees.
While Elliott’s recommendations are insightful, any potential changes to NASCAR’s calendar won’t happen right away. The 2025 schedule has already been finalized, so if NASCAR were to consider his ideas, adjustments wouldn’t be made until after next season. Whether or not the sanctioning body takes his suggestions seriously remains to be seen, but his perspective highlights a growing conversation about how NASCAR can evolve to better engage its audience.
What do you think about Chase Elliott’s ideas? Should NASCAR consider restructuring its schedule to build more anticipation? Let us know your thoughts!
Shocking: Chase Elliott Turn the Clock Back at Watkins Glen With the HMS Driver Fighting His Next Gen Woes
