“Not Last on the Team”: Chase Elliott’s Superiority Over Alex Bowman Questioned by NASCAR Fans After Insane 2024 Stat

Chase Elliott is the tip of the spear at the Hendrick Motorsports garage, or so everyone thought. The 2023 season was an abysmal one for the #9 driver. There were huge expectations for him to bounce back in 2024, however the same did not come to fruition.

His continual underperformance is amplified by his teammate Alex Bowman performing better than him this season, as revealed by a telling statistic. A recent analysis reveals that the #48 Chevrolet driver was Hendrick Motorsports’ highest-finishing driver in six races this past season whereas Elliott could only manage four.

Both drivers reached victory lane once and finished the season inside the top 10 in driver standings. This shocking statistic presents the theory that Bowman might have been more valuable to the team than Elliott.

Understandably, fans were surprised that the #48 driver managed to trounce the most popular man in NASCAR. One wrote on X, “Crazy how consistent yet mid Chase Elliott is.” Elliott was one of the most consistent drivers this season despite more wins throughout the year. Another fan added, “The Chase Elliott stat is insane tbh.”

What’s particularly impressive is Bowman’s results during the year. There were talks midseason about how he was the weak link in Hendrick Motorsports’ lineup and that his contract was under threat. He was quick to dismiss these rumors with his performance on the track, especially after clinching victory in Chicago. An admirer said, “Bowman haters just fell over backwards.”

The best finishers for Hendrick Motorsports in 2024

Unsurprisingly, Kyle Larson topped his teammates by finishing highest amongst the four HMS entries the most number of times (15) this year. It was unfortunate that he couldn’t make it into the Championship 4 and get his hands on the trophy despite being the best among his team, courtesy of the playoff format.

William Byron came in the runner-up spot, finishing as the best driver for the team in 11 races. He made it into the Championship 4 but failed to challenge Joey Logano, who ultimately clinched the championship.

While the 2024 season was more in line for others at HMS, the 2020 Cup Series champion’s performance during the season might require tweaking going forward if he wants to continue being one of the frontrunners at the team, a spot currently firmly held by Larson.

It remains to be seen how the Dawsonville native performs during the upcoming year, which kicks off with the famed Daytona 500 in February 2025.