31 Days to Daytona until NASCAR’s most popular driver hits the high banks of Daytona International Speedway. After a tumultuous 2023 season, the #9 Hendrick Motorsports team will hope for a full season of Chase Elliott behind the wheel. Will the team match what the 5 and 24 did last year?
#9 Hendrick Motorsports
Driver:Â Chase Elliott
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Sponsors: NAPA, Llumar, Hooters, Unifirst, Kelly Blue Book
2024 Season Preview
No Snowboarding Allowed
Chase Elliott’s 2023 immediately went sideways after a snowboarding accident before the Las Vegas race took him out of action. Elliott missed 6 weeks due to a broken leg. His absence took a toll on his playoffs chances (in terms of pointing his way in). While Elliott has vowed to hit the slopes once again, one would have to imagine that certain off-track activities will be saved for the offseason. The injury clearly disrupted the 9 team, despite making the owner playoffs. Chase Elliott being healthy all season long will likely see the team return to form.
A Return to Form
Speaking of returning to form, Chase Elliott’s 2023 was surprisingly light in high-quality races. While his average finish ranked fifth in Cup Series, Elliott sparingly felt like a top contender most weekends. The lack of wins is one thing, however, you can count the number of times Elliott had race winning speed on one hand. Even with the injury (and suspension), more is expected out of the 9 team. More than likely, 2023 was an outlier and Elliott will return to victory lane in 2024. If not, expect changes to the 9 team at season’s end.
Where Will the Frustration Come Out?
Normally, Chase Elliott is a reserved driver. He does not open up too much and shows little emotion in media appearances. However, at least once per season fans get to see Chase Elliott express frustrations in a public way. Last year, that came during the Coke 600 when racing with Denny Hamlin. Elliott right reared Hamlin into the wall after contact put him in the wall. That action led to a costly suspension for Elliott’s playoff chances. However, it was a spark of a different side of Elliott. When will that frustration bubble over this season? Will it be aimed at driver or somewhere else?
Winning a Crown Jewel
Chase Elliott has racked up 18 wins in his Cup Series career. Plus, he claimed the 2020 Cup Championship. He is likely on his way to a Hall of Fame induction once his career is over. However, Elliott is still missing a win at a crown jewel event. Elliott has come close before though. In the 2021 Daytona 500, Elliott would have beat Michael McDowell back to the line if the race stayed green. Elliott has twice finished second in the Coke 600. Can Elliott get it done this year and check off one of NASCAR’s crown jewels off his todo list?
Daytona 500 Chances
As mentioned earlier, Chase Elliott has come close to winning a Daytona 500 before. Early in his career, Elliott and Daytona did not get along. In his first 8 starts at the track, Elliott had 4 DNFs and only 2 lead lap finishes. Since 2020 though, Elliott has been putting together better finishes. In his latest 8 starts, Elliott has a Top-10 in all but one race he has finished (2 DNFs) with 3 Top-5s. Can Elliott continue this wave of positive results to a Daytona 500 win?
Speedweeks Outlook
Chase Elliott has 2 Daytona 500 poles to his name. However, those came in his first two Daytona 500 starts. Since then, Elliott has only failed to qualify inside the Top-10 once (last year). Expect Chase Elliott to have a good starting position for his duel race. Much like qualifying, Elliott’s early career saw more duel success than recently. Elliott has 2 duel wins to his name, so in theory he will be a factor in this year’s duel. In the Daytona 500, Elliott will definitely be the fan favorite. Based on his superspeedway career, it would not be surprising to see Elliott hoist the Harley J Earl trophy after the Great American Race.
Previous Days
40-36 Days: 40 – #12, 39 – #5, 38 – #24, 37 – #20, & 36 – #11
