Can Defending NASCAR Champ Chase Elliott Enter the Jimmie Johnson-Jeff Gordon Club at Phoenix?

When Chase Elliott won the NASCAR Cup Series title in 2020, he became the second-youngest driver in history to do so. This year, the 25-year-old is knocking on the same door again. And if he goes through, he will join an elite company.

With a win in Phoenix, Chase Elliott will become the 11th driver with two consecutive title victories, a list that includes names like Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Richard Petty, and Dale Earnhardt.

In addition to becoming part of that club, Elliott has the chance to make another potential record if he wins in Phoenix.

On Sunday, Chase Elliott could become the youngest driver to win two in a row.

The ones in the way of Chase Elliott

But as enticing and noteworthy as all these records and numbers are, Chase Elliott’s focus will be not on the prize but on the road to achieving that.

And on that road, he has some tough competition, both from inside his own team and from outside.

The Hendrick driver will compete against his teammate Kyle Larson and the two Joe Gibbs drivers, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.

Aside from the obvious, all three of Elliott’s competitors have a pretty strong ‘extra reason’ for winning the championship.

His teammate, Kyle Larson, will start as the title favorite, on the back of 11 wins this season.

Martin Truex Jr. who sits behind Larson for most wins this season, with four victories, will be quietly chasing his second title as an underdog.

And his 40-year-old Joe Gibbs teammate Denny Hamlin will finally want to add the one title missing from his illustrious career, the Cup Series title.

Which direction will the wind blow in Phoenix?

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Fans can expect a head-to-head battle for the top spot. But perhaps it’s Chase Elliott, who has just a few more reasons to win in Phoenix.

The desert wind in Arizona can blow in either of the four directions on Sunday. And it’d be on Chase Elliott’s mind to not only turn the wind in last year’s direction but to write his name in the history books of NASCAR along the way.

Also Read: Chase Elliott or Kyle Larson? Jimmie Johnson Reveals Who he is Backing for the Cup Title