Why indications suggest Chase Elliott will win on a road course for the first time with a Next Gen vehicle
Chase Elliott was regarded as NASCAR’s road-course king from 2018 to 2021. He was always the favorite when NASCAR traveled the winding roads of those courses, having won seven of them in four seasons.
Since the Next Gen car’s debut in 2022, Elliott has yet to win on road courses; but, a race at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on Sunday at the Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway could change that. Chase Elliott was regarded as NASCAR’s road-course king from 2018 to 2021. He was always the favorite when NASCAR traveled the winding roads of those courses, having won seven of them in four seasons. Since the Next Gen car’s debut in 2022, Elliott hasn’t won any races on road courses, except a race at the
Elliott, who finished first in five races and qualified for the Championship Four for the third time in a row in 2022, has returned to form in 2024. Despite missing the playoffs in 2023 due to injury and suspension, the 28-year-old driver is the most reliable in the Cup Series and even made it back to the winner’s circle at Texas Motor Speedway. Elliott has “only” finished in the top 10 in the first 15 races of the Cup Series this year, but his average finish at the championship level is 9.9, and he hasn’t finished worse than 19th.
