In a season where Kyle Larson seemed near invulnerable at certain points, it’s easy to miss out on a key player for Hendrick Motorsports, Chase Elliott. After all, it wasn’t just Larson racking up wins for the team in the last few years. However, one aspect that Elliott seemed to excel in, particularly with the Next-Gen car. Although some may dislike the changes that came with the car, Elliott took up the challenge, dominating the first year of change. It may be what caused him to be surprised after spending 3 years with the car.

In a recent conversation, Chase Elliott revealed the reality check that hit him regarding his time with the Next-Gen car.

Chase Elliot opens up about his experience with the Gen-7 car

Hendrick Motorsports drivers’ performance was commendable upon the 2022 debut of the Gen-7 car. It felt like it was the only team that had the key to excel with the new system, where Elliott had won 5 races by the regular season’s end and finished in the 4th position. His 2022 results assured him he would set a new benchmark for the next season. With his learning from previous races and support from the team on a better understanding of the race environment, he made a progressive comeback in the 2024 season, finishing in the 7th standing position. 

In a recent interview with Hendrick Motorsports.com, Chase Elliott shared a glimpse of his journey after the introduction of the next-gen car and how his understanding of it’s getting better with time.  Elliott said, “I think my understanding of it is certainly higher than it’s been probably been since it was introduced. Does that mean it’s perfect? No. Does that mean I know everything about it? No, it definitely doesn’t. But I think that as you just keep progressing through these years with this thing and trying to figure out what it likes. There was a point in time (in 2024) where I’m like, ‘Man, we are so much better than we were.’ Even at the beginning of ’22 when won a handful of races and had a great stretch, I’m like, ‘Man, if we were this good then, you would be just destroying everyone on a weekly basis.’

However, Elliott seemed to be gaining a better understanding of the racing with a Gen-7 car. especially when it comes to teams like Penske, whose drivers have dominated the Next-Gen era. In the three years since the Next-Gen car launched, it’s been Penske drivers winning the championships.  Even the 23XI team is not behind in the game, they’re all also leveling up constantly. The notable performance of Tyler Reddick in the last two seasons has brought in closer to the championship from the 6th standing position in 2023 to entering in top 4 in 2024 was impressive. Given the way things started out for him in 2022, it’s no wonder why Elliott feels they could have been doing more. At the same time, it’s important to consider his return from injury after the 2023 accident. Coming back to racing after such a terrible incident is no small feat. 

Knowing this, Elliott took a moment to appreciate their current position. “And I think it just goes to show you that everyone is taking those steps as well, and it’s about bettering yourself and just continuing to try to push that limit a little bit. But I certainly think we’re in a good place with it now. I look forward to going to most all of the styles of tracks just because I think we have a better understanding of what I want and what I need out of the car to go fast at those places. So, hopefully that’s accurate, and if it’s not, we’ll keep trucking.”

Perhaps where Elliott can look to take inspiration from his teammate. While Kyle Larson’s first season wasn’t as successful with the Next-Gen car as Elliott’s, he has surely come into a league of his own, particularly in 2024. With 6 wins to his name, it’s clear Larson knows how to extract performances from the car. His 400+ lap lead in Bristol was a testament to that.

Looking beyond the scope of the car, there are other areas Chase Elliott might look at for the 2025 season.

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How Elliott is preparing for the 2025 season

The playoffs certainly didn’t go the way Hendrick Motorsports wanted. Despite three of their drivers making it to the Round of 8, only one managed to make it to the Championship 4. For Chase Elliott, the elimination stung just a little bit more, considering that he had two solid finishes in the Round of 8 races. He finished in 5th at Homestead-Miami, then 2nd at Martinsville. Yet, the lack of stage points meant that he wouldn’t make it to the next round.

A more troubling stat that may explain this lack of stage points is his average start position. His average start position for 2024 was 11.6, considerably higher than his teammate, Kyle Larson, who came in somewhere at 8.8. The big difference it makes is Elliott having to work his way through the field before finding himself in a good position for the remainder of the race.

However, Elliott is taking these challenges head-on. Speaking about the upcoming season, Elliott kept things simple. He said, “Honestly, I think from my perspective and where I’m at in my career right now is just trying to get more competitive on a weekly basis.” 

What do you think will happen for Elliott in 2025? Let us know in the comments below!