After the 2024 Daytona 500 saw Hendrick Motorsports end their decade-long victory drought at the Great American Race, there couldn’t be a driver more important for the future of Rick Hendrick’s side than William Byron. However, only two years ago, that honor would have gone to the 2020 Cup Series champion, Chase Elliott. While Elliott was touted as HMS’ captain back then, that reality seemed to be fading away in 2023, with Byron outshining the entire field. However, as per Dale Earnhardt Jr, the 28-year-old is not one to back down from reclaiming his spot as the top dog at Hendrick Motorsports.

Whilst Byron’s controversial win over teammate Bowman may have sidelined the rest of the garage, Elliott’s solid form in the first stage led Earnhardt Jr to believe that a promising comeback was in the works.

Chase Elliott shows early signs of recovery at Daytona after a dismal 2023 season

It’s no secret that 2023 was a year of great setbacks for Chase Elliott, who had won the championship for HMS only three seasons earlier. Not only did Elliott fail to secure a single win for the first time since 2017, but also missed the playoffs for the first time in his career. Adding to his misery, William Byron was quickly becoming a fan favorite owing to his wins, leaving Elliott reminiscing about the previous seasons.

But when this season’s Daytona 500 rolled around, Elliott was already looking feisty with a P5 qualifying spot. As the Great America Race kicked off, Elliott managed to carve his way up to the very front. And by the end of the first stage, Elliott managed to pull out in front. Reflecting on Elliott’s performance, Junior shared his intuition about the HMS driver’s 2024 season in the latest episode of the Dale Jr Download.

Earnhardt Jr stated, “Chase Elliott did a great job all day long. Talked about him having sort of a resurgence this year, he won the first stage. So he wins a stage and I’m like, alright man, setting the tone for a comeback.”

While Elliott may have fallen off over the 500-mile run and finished the Great American Race down in P14, Junior’s confidence is not to be taken lightly.

Despite Elliott’s finishing position not resonating with the performance of Byron and Bowman, the 2020 Cup Series champion’s performance at the opener this year could have resulted in a top-five. After all, Elliott revealed that he would have finished fairly higher up if it were not for an earlier incident that made things tougher.

READ MORE: Disaster Strikes for Hailie Deegan at Daytona as Daniel Suarez’s Spine-Chilling Crash Ends Her Xfinity Debut

A small error cost Chase Elliott a shot at matching his Hendrick Motorsports colleagues

Trending

Kyle Busch’s Wife Samantha Surprisingly Embracing Indian Culture Has Fans Going Gaga Over Fashionista Status

NASCAR Rumor: Courtesy of a $38.76B Sponsor, Tony Stewart’s Dark Horse Secures a Seat With Brad Keselowski at RFK Racing

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Enraged at Bubba Wallace After He Shot Himself in the Foot, Leaving Michael Jordan in Agony

NASCAR Fans Urge Kyle Busch for a U-Turn Amid Rumors of Rick Hendrick’s Underachiever’s Exit

Despite Alex Bowman’s Confidence, $12.67 Billion Sponsor Could Leave Him Hanging Out of HMS if the Tides Don’t Turn

After Hendrick Motorsports had celebrated their grand achievement at the Daytona 500, Kelly Price from Fox 5 Sports spoke to Elliott about his relatively lackluster result in comparison to Byron and Bowman. While Elliott was looking like he had one of the best cars in the first stage and was certainly on the better strategy, a run-in with Kyle Busch and Christopher Bell resulted in lost hopes of a front-running finish.

Reflecting on the incident, Elliott shared, “I made a mistake. I saw Kyle [Busch] who was coming really hard on top, and I tried to pick his lane up, and he gave me a big shove. I thought I could sneak back to the middle, and the #20 [Christopher Bell] was wanting to be there too. I’m not sure I would’ve got to the front row, but certainly would’ve been a better finish than where we ended up. So hate that, but had a solid day otherwise, happy for William [Byron].”

Despite the result on paper telling another story, Chase Elliott felt the team had done their best to bring in the best possible. With that said, do you think Chase Elliott can reclaim his position as the lead driver within HMS?

WATCH THIS STORY:  No Clue How That Is a Penalty” – Kyle Busch Exposes NASCAR’s “Contradictory” Side After Being Left in Disbelief of Denny Hamlin’s Controversial Verdict