“It’s Been Totally Different”: Chase Elliott Confesses Road Course Racing Feels Foreign in NASCAR’s Next Gen Era

Chase Elliott was once known as the king of the road courses in the NASCAR Cup Series. But times have changed, and other names have taken that spot. One of the biggest reasons for Elliott’s seeming downfall on these tracks is the introduction of the Next Gen car. His performance simply hasn’t been on the same level since these machines were brought into the fold in 2022.

Elliott confessed in a recent interview that road course racing has felt foreign to him in the last three seasons. He said, “Since the new car came in, it’s been totally different, truthfully. The success in this new car, it’s not even a different chapter. It’s like a different book. So, I wouldn’t even compare that if it were me. I think it’s just happenstance that we have fired off well.”

Elliott won at Watkins Glen, the venue of the upcoming Cup Series race, in 2018 and 2019. In 2022, he finished in fourth place. In 2023, he finished 32nd and last year, he finished 19th. This trend can be seen in other road racing venues as well. Despite not winning any road races in the Next Gen era, his consistency on the track type has thankfully remained high.

With three races remaining in the ongoing regular season, he sits second on the points table next to William Byron. His average finish of 10.3 is the highest in the field and is his second-best this far into a season. He is also the only driver this season to finish in the top-20 in all 23 races that have gone down so far. He will rely on this momentum to get back to winning ways this Sunday at The Glen.

Can Chase Elliott become the regular season champion?

Winning a Cup Series race is worth five playoff points. If Elliott gets crowned as the regular season champion, he will benefit from an additional 15 playoff points as a reward. In light of this, Elliott and his crew chief, Alan Gustafson, believe that they are being presented with big opportunities to haul crucial points.

“We obviously want to win the regular season but more importantly than that, we want to win some races,” Gustafson told HendrickMotorsports.com. He went on to express strong excitement about the races at Richmond and Daytona as well. These are all tracks where Elliott has already proven himself. It’s just a matter of timing, fate, and luck working together in his favor now.