After a difficult season, is it possible for a former champion to regain his supremacy? With his arms raised in triumph, Chase Elliott got upon his No. 9 Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway in 2020 under the bright lights. Having won his first Cup Series title at the age of 24, he had already achieved the highest level in NASCAR. Even though Elliott is still one of the top names in the sport today, his path has not been easy. Elliott has been put to the test in ways he had never been put to before over the last two seasons. He missed the playoffs for the first time in his career due to injuries, missing races, and a 2023 season without a victory. Nevertheless, he has remained steadfast in the face of every setback.
Elliott keeps demonstrating that his desire for achievement is unwavering, whether it is by battling for every spot on the track or putting in endless effort with his Hendrick Motorsports team. The No. 9 team is now seeking atonement as they prepare for a new season. Progress is seen in strong performances at superspeedways, such as a valiant 15th-place finish at the Daytona 500. But according to Elliott, momentum and performance—rather than just outcomes—will decide his return to the top. One thing is certain as he gets ready for the next task: Chase Elliott is searching for his next big break, not simply racing.
Elliott Redefines Speedway Racing: No Room for Luck Anymore
NASCAR’s most popular driver was in the right place with only a few laps remaining in the Daytona 500. Running close to the front and avoiding the collisions that eliminated other competitors, his No. 9 Chevrolet had been swift. All that changed, though, when the field assembled for the final charge. Elliott’s chance at victory was lost due to a late-race multi-car incident that rearranged the racing order and left him stranded in a fading lane. He finished in 15th place, which wasn’t commensurate with the speed and skill his squad displayed during the week. This outcome was disappointing for a driver who hasn’t had any trouble placing in the top 10 in his previous three Daytona 500s.
Chase Elliott said he wouldn’t have changed anything he did during the Daytona week even with a 15th-place finish. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/t8Nc8EJXyz
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 23, 2025
Elliott’s annoyance was evident. He stated plainly, “We were better than that.” Despite the defeat, he backed his team’s plan. He said, “To be honest, I wouldn’t do anything different than we did last week. Did I find the outcome disappointing? Of course.” His faith in their readiness remained unwavering. He felt they had carried out their plan, made the appropriate draft choices, and delivered their best Next Gen vehicle to Daytona. A split-second lane change ruined their prospects on a track where every decision matters.
Superspeedway races were long viewed as unpredictable wild cards, where skill was rarely as important as luck. However, Elliott thinks such a way of thinking is out of date. In the past, he clarified, “Historically you could kind of get away with not worrying about the speedway races. But I don’t believe that’s the case anymore.” They have a greater influence on the championship now that there are more of these races scheduled. It takes more than a chance to be in the right place at the right moment. It requires skill and in-depth knowledge of the race.
Elliott thought they’d done it at Daytona. They put themselves in a good position, stayed out of the jam, and gave themselves a chance. He committed to a lane that stalled out in the last few circuits, though, and the race slipped away. “At the drafting track, I care about everything I ask and discuss,” he stated. “On Sunday, I believed we carried out those actions.” Even though their effort may not have been evident in the outcome, Elliott did not see any reason to question their strategy.
Instead of focusing on the things he couldn’t control, Elliott decided to emphasize the performance’s effort. He remarked, “As an honest person, it’s really difficult for me to give the team a bad grade. I thought we did a pretty good job,” He knows it takes perseverance to win these races. After Daytona, he turns his attention to Atlanta Motor Speedway. Similar to a superspeedway, the circuit allows drivers greater control. Although he has come close, he has never won at his home track. Though it still hurts, he is using Daytona as inspiration. He is confident that his group is moving in the correct path. All that remains is to complete the task.
Chase Elliott’s Deep Ties to Atlanta Fuel His Drive for Victory
Chase Elliott isn’t looking back—he’s looking home. The Dawsonville, Georgia native is refocusing his attention on Atlanta Motor Speedway, which helped to mold him as a racer and a competitor, following a disappointing result at Daytona. Elliott sees AMS as the place where his aspirations began, not simply another track on the schedule. He was a little boy racing under the lights on Thursday evenings, seeking a future he could hardly fathom, long before he was a Cup Series champion. Elliott said, “I raced down there for a good portion of my childhood summers.” The weight of those memories now hangs over every lap at Atlanta, where that dream came true, “You’re sprinting the ¼-mile at that moment with the hopes of getting a chance to compete on “the big track” someday.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, Elliott is eager to gain momentum as he begins his tenth full-time season. He kicked off the year with a win at the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, proving he and Hendrick Motorsports are ready to compete at the highest level. However, Daytona exposed the brutal nature of superspeedway racing. Despite having the car, the strategy, and the execution, he ended up in 15th place due to circumstances. For this reason, Atlanta offers the ideal chance. Elliott thrives on the circuit, which has been redesigned to resemble superspeedway racing while maintaining driver control. Atlanta isn’t as focused on survival as Daytona or Talladega. Both speed and skill are required on the track. The fate of drivers is increasingly in their hands. Elliott is accepting the task, knowing this.
His self-assurance stems from his prior success here. By dominating the most laps and staying ahead of the field in the final seconds, he dominated AMS in 2022. He can’t wait to do it again. Elliott sees Atlanta developing as a major NASCAR stop, regardless of personal stakes. “I think they’ve done a great job of getting people talking about the racetrack and the events,” he said. Elliott wants to add a victory to the rising buzz around Atlanta.
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