Can Chase Elliott Repeat Last Year’s Nashville Heroics to Save His NASCAR Season?

As NASCAR prepares itself for this weekend’s race at Nashville, expectations run high for Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott who has not been able to secure himself in the playoffs yet. After being involved in a snowboarding accident earlier this year, Elliott found himself out of the car and had to undergo surgery for his injuries, missing quite a few important races. Interestingly, just last year, spectators were treated to a phenomenal display of skill and endurance when Elliott emerged victorious at the Nashville race, undeterred by the adverse weather delays that had marred the event.

This year, however, with no wins to his name so far, the question looming large is: Can Elliott replicate his previous year’s triumph and clinch victory this weekend?

Can Chase Elliott win at Nashville once again this year?

In the 2022 season, Elliott showcased a stellar performance at the Ally 400, overcoming two significant weather delays that extended the second half of the race into Sunday night. Undeterred, Elliott sprang into action, weathering a late-race caution to secure his win at the Nashville Superspeedway, marking his second victory of the 2022 season.

Elliott had skilfully carved out a substantial lead during the final lengthy green flag run. He appeared to be cruising towards an undeniable win until an unexpected event unfolded. Josh Bilicki’s engine failure, with just nine laps remaining, triggered a late-race caution and set the stage for an amazing final dash.

Elliott and his crew chief Alan Gustafson elected to stay out under caution while his nearest competitors came to pit road. This in turn proved to be the right decision on the final four-lap run to the checkered flag. He then interestingly went on to grab the checkered by passing 6 cars on the final lap.

Fast forward to the current season, with no victories under his belt thus far, Elliott faces a daunting challenge ahead. However, his demonstrated resilience and tactical acumen from the previous year are encouraging signs. As he prepares to hit the tracks at Nashville once again, one can’t help but speculate a repeat win.

An interesting window opens up for Elliott to win his first race this season

The postseason countdown has started with only 10 races left. Chase Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, stands on shaky ground. Currently, he occupies the 27th spot in the standings. Therefore, this year’s playoff route seems steep for him. His options? Clinch a victory before the season ends and climb past the 16th place in the rankings.

Fortunately for Elliott, the upcoming schedule of road course races is what he needs. Elliott has shown a knack for winning these races, potentially implying a promising turn of events in the upcoming weeks. Elliott’s career has shown a pattern of success during this phase of the season. Impressively, almost 40% of his career victories – seven out of 18 – have been between the 16th and 26th Cup Series races. Last season, he consistently secured top 2 finishes in five consecutive races during this period. One can only wonder what Elliott’s next move will be.