Kevin Harvick’s recent prediction about Chase Elliott winning at Martinsville almost came true. But, the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s efforts were overshadowed because of the drama involving William Byron and Christopher Bell on the track.
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Starting from P2, the #9 car weaved through the competition, finishing Stage 1 in the lead and Stage 2 in the 12th spot. On lap 477, Elliott nudged his teammate Kyle Larson out of the lead, only for Blaney to overtake Larson shortly thereafter. With just four laps remaining, Blaney surged past Elliott, who had dominated for 129 laps, to snatch the lead.
Had Elliott won a spot in the Championship 4, it would have marked his fourth final-four appearance in his decade-long Cup career, including his 2020 championship win. And while he aspired to win another NASCAR Cup, Elliott revealed that has not even collected his first one yet. When questioned about the whereabouts of his first Cup trophy, the 28-year-old responded:
“It’s currently still at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. It’s been there since… I guess since we won. I never went and got it, so it’s still sitting over there, as far as I know. I haven’t been over there in a little bit, but I’m fairly certain somebody would have told me if it was gone at this juncture (laughs). I should probably swing through and pick it up one day.”
Meanwhile, Elliott‘s close friend Ryan Blaney, last year’s Cup champion who’s eyeing another title this year, shared that his Cup Trophy has traveled a bit since his victory. It used to reside at his home but has since moved to his father’s shop.
In a September 2024 interview with WCNC, Ryan Blaney disclosed, “It was at my house for a little while and my dad has it right now in his shop. He’s building a case for it so he borrowed it to try to fabricate this case for it to sit in. It’s been in a few other places.”
Elliott’s 2024 NASCAR Cup season
After a winless season last year, hampered by a tibia injury that sidelined him for six races and a suspension following an incident with Denny Hamlin at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Elliott made a strong comeback this year. Throughout the first 19 races this season, he consistently placed within the top 19, capturing a win.
His victory at Texas Motor Speedway was a critical turning point, propelling him into the playoffs. Throughout the nine playoff races, Elliott finished four races in the top 5 and two more in the top 10. Even in the last race of the Round of 8 at Martinsville, he narrowly missed victory, outpaced slightly by Ryan Blaney.
As the season approaches its finale at Phoenix, where he boasts an average finish of 12.6 over 16 starts—including a victory during his championship run in 2020—expectations are high that Elliott will use this momentum to stage an even better comeback next season.
