Chase Elliott has been second only to teammate Kyle Larson in handling short tracks this season. He has collected 158 points on them by finishing inside the top-10 in all four races. The goal going to Richmond this Sunday, however, will be more than just to finish inside the top 10. Over 16 starts at the 0.75-mile track, he has zero wins. This is something he will strive to change.
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Elliott has six top-5 finishes and seven top-10 finishes at the Virginia track. The closest he came to victory lane was in 2018 when he finished as the runner-up. His most recent visit, earlier this year, ended in a fifth-place finish. His best short-track finish this year has been the third place that he secured at Martinsville. A deeper look reveals that his issue isn’t with Richmond alone.
Over 49 starts in short tracks throughout his Cup Series career, he has just one win which came in Martinsville back in November 2020. This is accompanied by 17 top-5s and 27 top-10s. The upcoming event presents a wonderful opportunity for him to level up these numbers to his usual caliber. He will have the strength of his crew chief Alan Gustafson, who is set to call his 37th race at Richmond.
Gustafson has secured five runner-up finishes at the track over the past two decades with drivers including Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin. Elliott told the press recently, “Richmond hasn’t particularly been a strong track for me. But we had a good finish there in the spring, so I’m looking forward to getting back there and seeing what we can do.”
Elliott will be welcoming a new sponsor at Richmond
The 2020 Cup Series champion’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro will be coated with red and dashes of white this weekend. The new colors are a homage to the sponsorship of the global beverage giant, Coca-Cola, marking its first primary partnership with Elliott. The upcoming race was originally slated to be sponsored by Hooters, but Hendrick Motorsports’ deal with them ended earlier this year.
Elliott is currently ten points behind teammate Larson in the fight for the regular season championship. With a lot on the line, the 400-lapper in Richmond is poised to be an entertaining affair. Adding to the excitement is NASCAR’s decision to provide tire choices for teams similar to what had been done at the All-Star race in North Wilkesboro back in May.
