At the season’s outset, Chase Elliott was on a streak of landing in the top 200 for 16 or more consecutive races. His run came to a halt with a 21st-place finish at the Chicago Street Course in July 2024. Despite this, Kevin Harvick has pegged Elliott as the HMS driver most likely to clinch a win at Martinsville and secure a spot in the Championship 4.
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During his podcast, Harvick discussed Elliott’s potential, noting, “The speed that they’ve [the #9] had, they’ve showed a couple flashes of speed in leading labs and you talk about that aggression that he had… I think he’s just finally getting to that point where it’s like… I’m gonna show you. And I’m gonna push people around.”
He added, “And I just think that… I think he’s getting tired of hearing about Kyle Larson and everybody else around him and just knowing that Next Gen mentality that you have to have with that over-aggressive attitude.”
Of the four drivers currently below the cutline, @KevinHarvick thinks Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team have the best shot of making the Championship 4.@KaitlynVincie | @MambaSmith34 | #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/MwyqyIlOi3
— HarvickHappyHour (@HarvickHappyPod) October 29, 2024
Elliott finds himself at the bottom of the Round of 8, facing a steep climb with just one more race at Martinsville before the Championship 4. Trailing by 43 points, Elliott’s only shot at advancing is to win, given that a driver can rack up to 60 points in a single race: 40 for the race victory and 10 for each stage win.
Additionally, playoff points come into play, with each stage win netting the driver one playoff point, and the race winner grabbing five playoff points.
Will Elliott still take a measured approach to the upcoming Martinsville race?
In his recent discussion with Claire B. Lang, ahead of the Homestead race, Elliott was queried about his strategy for the next race. He expressed a preference for maintaining clean racing over adopting an overly aggressive style.
The #9 Hendrick Motorsports driver mused, “I would like to think that we are all smart enough to make good decisions and try to do things the right way. That’s how I would like to see things done.”
However, it remains to be seen if he adopts the same demeanor at Martinsville as well.
Reflecting on his past performances though, Elliott has proven he can win under pressure without resorting to aggressive tactics. Back in 2020, facing a 25-point deficit in the standings before the final Round of 8 race at Martinsville, he needed a win to secure a spot in the season finale. Starting from eighth, Elliott steered the short track to capture a crucial victory.
Now, with Martinsville set as the shortest track on the schedule, Elliott’s challenge will be to secure a top-5 starting position and work his way to the front throughout 500 laps.
