A Damning Assessment: Chase Elliott’s Fall from Grace in Hendrick Motorsports’ Pecking Order
In the high-stakes world of NASCAR, where teams often consist of three to four drivers, a distinct hierarchy often emerges. Some drivers naturally take centre stage, becoming the face of the team, while others find themselves languishing at the bottom. At Joe Gibbs Racing, Ty Gibbs has taken on the leader role, with Christopher Bell serving as their poster boy.
However, a surprising development has emerged at Hendrick Motorsports. Chase Elliott, the 2020 champion, the man behind the wheel of the legendary #9 car that his father made famous, the seven-time consecutive recipient of the ‘Most Popular Driver’ award, is now considered the ‘4th driver’ on the team. A shocking revelation, given his track record.
Previously, Alex Bowman was thought to occupy this position in the team. However, Bowman’s performance has been consistently impressive, even surpassing that of Kyle Larson. This has sparked discussions among NASCAR enthusiasts and professionals alike, leading to a probing examination of Elliott’s current standing.
NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck recently commented on this perplexing situation. He posed a question that many in the racing community have been grappling with: “How did Chase Elliot become sort of the fourth Hendrick car?” He went on to compare Elliott’s performance to Bowman’s, highlighting that Bowman has achieved four top 10 finishes this year, a feat matched only by William Byron.
The other Hendrick Motorsports drivers have been leaving their mark on the racetrack. William Byron, for instance, has landed in the top six in four out of five races, not to mention his back-to-back Daytona 500 victories. Larson, on the other hand, has scored three top 10 finishes, twice claiming the third spot on the podium. Bowman, as mentioned earlier, has also landed in the top 10 four times, with his best position being sixth at the Daytona 500.
In stark contrast, Elliott’s performance has been underwhelming. Following his win at ‘The Clash’, expectations were high for a promising year. However, his subsequent performance has left many puzzled, leading to Gluck’s candid assessment: “You just keep waiting for them to break out…but it just sort of never happens.”
Since the introduction of the next-gen car, Elliott’s journey with the #9 team has been akin to a rollercoaster ride. After winning five races and finishing fourth in the championship in 2022, Elliott’s performance took a nosedive in 2023, with no wins, no playoff appearances, and a final standing of 17th. While a win and 7th place finish in 2024 provided some respite for Elliott’s fans, he was never a real contender for the championship. The 2025 season seems to be following a similar trajectory.
Elliott’s 2025 season began on a high note with a win at the season opener at the iconic Bowman Gray Stadium, which returned to the Cup Series for the first time since 1971. Hopes were high that Elliott would emulate his father’s back-to-back Daytona 500 victories in 1987. However, he finished the ‘Great American Race’ in 15th place and followed this with a 20th place finish at Atlanta.
Despite a collision with Ross Chastain during the first turn of the race at COTA, Elliott managed to secure 4th place, but the inconsistency of his performance has led to questions about his ability to win races. Out of the last 70 point races, he has only won twice, a stark departure from his past performance.
Although Elliott remains optimistic about his championship chances, his recent performances have left fans and critics alike wondering if internal issues at Hendrick Motorsports or the next-gen car could be the culprit.
Nevertheless, there’s still a significant part of the season left, and Elliott has the opportunity to turn things around, not only for himself but for Hendrick Motorsports as a whole.
It’s worth noting that the entire Hendrick Motorsports team seems to be facing challenges. Despite a promising start to the season, with Elliott’s win at Bowman Gray Stadium and Byron’s victory at Daytona 500, the team’s dominance hasn’t been consistent.
In fact, it took a Wood Brothers Racing driver, Josh Berry, to break Christopher Bell’s three-race winning streak, raising questions about when a legitimate points race win might come from a Hendrick Motorsports driver.
As the season progresses and the Homestead Miami race looms, all eyes are on Elliott, who—with three top 5s, four top 10s, and an average finish of 9.8—seems to be Hendrick Motorsports’ best bet. Whether he can overcome the odds and claim victory remains to be seen.