Chase Elliott’s Gloomy Season Given Dismal Prediction by NASCAR Veteran: “He Has No Rhythm Whatsoever”

While 2023 is being mostly seen as a redemption year for veterans Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., it has also been quite the opposite for the other usual suspects, most notably Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick. Throw in a winless Ross Chastain into the mix and it does seem like a ‘win now or go home’ scenario for the next 10 weeks before the playoffs begin.

NASCAR veteran Jeff Burton recently addressed the struggles of the three drivers and why he feels it is a tall order for them to make a final push to make it to the Round of 16.

In Elliott’s case, although he had been sidelined for six weeks at the beginning of the season, he has not looked threatening even after his return. Throw in the suspension after the Denny Hamlin incident in Charlotte, and it seems this might be a season Elliott would want to forget.

Jeff Burton on Chase Elliott’s Dismal 2023 Season

Appearing on the ‘Cup Connection’ with Mike Massaro, Burton was asked which winless driver was a favorite to win a race over the next ten races before the others and make it to the playoffs.

The former driver turned broadcaster said, “I don’t think Chase Elliott and Harvick have been consistent enough to show that they can win now. Chase’s problem is, because of the injury and then he was suspended because of on-track action, he has no rhythm whatsoever.”

“I mean, they don’t have a rhythm like they haven’t put races together they can build on.” 

The one thing going in Chase Elliott’s favor is the schedule of upcoming races. Three of the next five races are at Nashville, Atlanta, and Pocono, races that Elliott won last year. What has also been a pattern through Elliott’s career is dominance in the last 10 races of the season; 7 of Elliott’s 18 career victories have come between the 16th and the 26th race of the season.

Burton highlights Kevin Harvick and Ross Chastain’s Struggles

Regarding Kevin Harvick, who is set to retire at the end of the season, the veteran said, “Harvick and his team have been good, they’ve been sneaky fast but not quite fast enough to win to win.”

What really stumped Burton was the Ross Chastain question. Referring to the recent reports that the Trackhouse Racing driver has been instructed to drive in a manner that does not rub the other teams the wrong way, a visibly confused Burton expressed, “Chastain confuses me. I don’t know where I am on Chastain or where he is. I personally think that they need to take the reins off and explain to him, ‘Ross, you’re gonna have to find a way to race well with others but at the same time we do not expect it to happen tomorrow.‘

The “it” was obviously in reference to Chastain’s comments this week about improving as an on-track driver not just in terms of results, but also the process.