Chase Elliott hasn’t hit rock bottom in terms of performance or standings — not yet. He’s still competitive, but lacks the fire that carried him to the 2020 cup title. To reignite that spark, fans are pushing for the swap of crew chief Alan Gustafson for Rodney Childers.
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Childers, who recently parted ways with Spire Motorsports after just 10 races, has become a hot topic of speculation in NASCAR circles. Some hoped he would team up with Kyle Busch at RCR to help snap his winless run. But Elliott’s supporters believe Childers could breathe new life into the #9 camp and steer the ship back on course.
Their reasoning isn’t without merit. Despite sitting fourth in the driver standings with three top-five finishes, Elliott trails his Hendrick Motorsports teammates in laps led this season. Through 11 races, Kyle Larson has led 503 laps, William Byron 354, Alex Bowman 107, while Elliott has clocked in with just 44 at the front.
That’s why fans are urging Rick Hendrick to shake things up by bringing in a new head atop the No. 9 pit box, which could be the missing piece in Elliott’s run at this point. They want to see Elliott paired with a proven winner like Childers, whose championship pedigree could steer the ship in a new direction.
So when Freddie Kraft floated the question, “Where do you wanna see Rodney go next?” one fan didn’t mince words: “Currently? Would love to see a change at the 9 so my guy is competitive again.”
Another chimed in with a straightforward suggestion: “Be the Crew Chief for Chase Elliott.” A third took aim at Alan Gustafson, writing, “The 9 car…. Alan hasn’t done anything to help Chase the past three years.”
Yet another piled on: “Chase Elliott’s new crew chief, like THIS WEEEK at Kansas! Rick and Jeff need to move Alan to a different role. Wasting Chase’s prime years!”
Where do you wanna see Rodney go next? https://t.co/bzzzpwW4Zw
— Freddie Kraft (@FreddieKraft) May 6, 2025
Elliott’s stat sheet is quite clean so far. He hasn’t logged any DNFs this season. Plus, he’s had a string of top–20 finishes that mirror last year’s consistency. Nevertheless, fans have grown restless.
Steady is good, but for great, you need wins. And that’s where things have changed.
Elliott’s declining win rate
Elliott’s win rate has dropped to 1.3% since the start of 2023. And fans believe his steady results aren’t enough when his Hendrick teammates are consistently hitting pay dirt.
Between 2018 and 2022, the #9 HMS driver made 18 trips to Victory Lane in 180 starts. His win rate of 10% was second only to Kevin Harvick’s 12.8% during that span. More often than not, Elliott outperformed his teammates as well, finishing ahead of them in 61.7% of their shared races.
However, his career took a turn for the worse in 2023 after a snowboarding accident. That mishap sidelined him for seven races, costing him a shot at the playoffs. He finally broke a 42-race winless streak with a victory at Texas last season. But he has yet to recapture the edge that once set him apart.
Since that lone win, he has gone winless in 37 consecutive starts, with his former aggression now seemingly missing in action. And fans are hoping that bringing Rodney Childers into the pick may give him a car that can bring that aggro back.
