Following the elimination of Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports now heads into the Round of 8 with its hopes pinned on Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and William Byron.
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Larson is a clear championship favorite and is most likely to race for the title in Phoenix. But Elliott and Byron can’t be categorized similarly. The weak momentum that they’ve got going doesn’t create a lot of confidence about their chances.
Elliott and Byron have the longest winless streaks among the Round of 8 drivers. The #9 driver hasn’t reached victory lane in 23 races. He did so last in Texas. Byron hasn’t won in 24 races.
He kicked the season off with exemplary form winning three of the opening eight races, but that appeared to take all the pace the #24 Chevrolet Camaro had.
Current winless streaks by the Round of 8 drivers pic.twitter.com/4BbEnTFyJE
— Trey Ryan (@TreyRyan99) October 19, 2024
On the other hand, Larson won in Charlotte last time around and brought up his number of victories to six. It is hard to deny that he is a league ahead of his teammates.
However, drivers dominating an entire season only to lose it all in the end because of one bad race is something that has become a common sight in the sport. And this unpredictability is what Elliott and Byron hold on to as well.
A big jump in form could be right around the corner for either of the two. Byron is four points above the elimination line going to the race in Las Vegas.
He has qualified to start the race in ninth place. Elliott is nine points below the line and has qualified to start from 18th. Hopefully, one of them will find victory lane in Sin City and ease some of the pressure.
“Anyone’s game at that point in time”
Only four more races are left to decide who the 2024 Cup Series champion will be. Every insider, expert, analyst, driver, and fan has their prediction on that. But the truth is no one can be too sure of their choice. And Elliott understands how volatile the current scenario is.
He told the press in Vegas, “Yeah, I think we have a great opportunity for sure and I also feel if you get to the Round of 8, I truly believe it is anyone’s game at that point in time. All it takes is getting in a good little groove.” He sure is optimistic about his chances of making it to Phoenix.
Consistency has been the strategy that the #9 team has relied on so far in their campaign. However, it’s time to step on the go pedal and be a bit more explosive on the race track. Perhaps fans will get to see the actual speed and power under the hood of Elliott’s Camaro in Sin City on Sunday.
