There seems to be a divide in terms of performance in the Hendrick Motorsports camp this Cup Series season. The disparity is pretty evident to fans of the sport. On one hand, Kyle Larson and William Byron continue to impress with their speed on any given weekend. In contrast, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman have had under-the-radar seasons with no major highlights yet.
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Elliott is P5 in the standings after last weekend’s race. However, fans are used to seeing the Dawsonville, Georgia, native contending for victories every week, and not just racing for points during the regular season. Many term the switch down to the Next Gen car.
Elliott’s driving style is perhaps not aligned with the Next Gen hardware. Others tout his skiing injury in 2023 as the turning point after which he never exhibited the same speed. Whatever the reason may be, fans are concerned. And many have voiced their opinions.
A conversation was triggered on social media when a self-proclaimed Brad Keselowski fan wondered about Elliott’s lost form.
“I’m gonna say it anyway… I think we need to start having a conversation about Chase Elliott and the 9 team. I mean nothing serious, he’s still top 5 in points, but where’s the speed and wins we used to see?” Asked the fan.
Several other NASCAR enthusiasts came in with theories of their own, with one referring to his last victory in the sport.
“This is a valid point. Chase is in the prime of his career and can’t win races. He shouldn’t have won Texas last year, but they ran 20 caution laps before going back green to end that race. If he hadn’t lucked into that win, it’s a loooong winless streak,” wrote the X user.
They’re putting diesel in his car
— Todd Gillidaddy (@Gillidaddy) June 4, 2025
Many, in fact, think it is the car that’s part of the problem and not just the driver’s form.
“He has said himself that he struggles to find the right feel for the car. Let’s not forget, Busch is struggling in this car, Harvick struggled big time, [and] Truex was fast but not as dominant. Let’s not forget the injury and surgery that delayed his seat time,” mentioned a fan.
Another interesting take came from a fan who said HMS has put Elliott on the back burner since Byron and Larson are leading the charge for the team.
“He’s simply not a priority at HMS anymore. Byron is more consistently competing for wins, and obviously Larson has been the top dog at HMS ever since he joined the team in 2021. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chase wants to leave HMS to go elsewhere,” they wrote.
Meanwhile, one fan put it down to the seventh-generation Next Gen cup car once again, and how many drivers have had a difficult time understanding the package: “I think this next gen car doesn’t fit his driving style. He even said he’s having a hard time figuring it out. Figured by now he would. Too talented not to.”
Whether or not Elliott can turn this narrative around remains to be seen. A solid way to do so would be to have a deep run in this year’s playoffs and hopefully contend for the 2025 title.
