“It Didn’t Necessarily Make the Pill Any Easier to Swallow”: Why Chase Elliott is “Proud” of Team’s State Despite Failure to Make Final 4

After ending the 2024 NASCAR season in seventh position overall, Chase Elliott exudes confidence in his and his team’s abilities. Despite only one of the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers reaching the Championship 4, Elliott firmly believes in the value of consistency for both the team and its drivers.

He expressed, “I love the wins, love getting in the [Championship Four] and racing for a championship and doing all those things… But I think for me it’s just about being competitive and I’m a believer that if you’re competitive and you’re putting yourself in those positions, you’re going to get your turn and you’ve just got to keep yourself there.”

Reflecting on the collective effort of the Hendrick Motorsports team, the driver of the #9 Chevrolet further remarked, “I think that last month or so [in 2024] was a good example of that. You know, it didn’t necessarily make the pill any easier to swallow when you miss [the Championship Four] by a spot, but I do think it does give you something to be proud of.”

Elliott rebounded strongly in 2024 after a winless 2023, a season that marked the first time since his 2020 championship victory that he did not qualify for the playoffs. He also secured top-10 finishes in seven out of 10 playoff races in 2024. With runner-up spots at Bristol and Martinsville, this showcased his playoff-centric performance.

However, his title hopes were eliminated in the penultimate round, despite leading 218 laps during the postseason — over half of the total laps he led during the regular season. Elliott’s lone victory came at Texas Motor Speedway in April, where he led 39 laps, including the crucial final 17 in an overtime clincher.

Strong finishes propel Elliott’s optimism

Reflecting on the momentum gained from strong finishes in 2024, Elliott shared that these performances have boosted his confidence for the upcoming season. He observed numerous highlights towards the season’s end, with his team consistently being in contention across various categories.

“Wish we had gotten one spot better there, one of those weeks, but I think just being in the mix and having that type of run in the closing weeks was a big deal for us,” he commented.

The foundation of consistency set the tone last year, highlighted by a late-season push that almost saw the #9 team clinching their second championship title or, at the very least, become a serious contender. Elliott’s year was marked by 19 consecutive top-20 finishes from the start, leading all Cup Series drivers with 32 top-20 finishes — three more than any other driver.

His average finishing position of 11.7 was also the highest among all full-time competitors. Looking forward to 2025, Elliott is optimistic about continuing the momentum from late 2024, which could place the #9 team firmly in the championship hunt. “It’s just about having a little more pace, leading some more laps, being more aggressive,” he implied.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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