Chase Elliott’s 2024 campaign was nothing short of a roller coaster. He started his season on the back of a winless streak which stretched to 42 races by the time he broke it at Texas Motor Speedway. However, that was the only win Elliott would bag that season, despite incredibly consistent finishes. After missing the playoffs in 2023, Elliott was determined for redemption. Unfortunately, a late crash in playoffs ultimately derailed his title hopes.

This left fans and critics speculating about what went wrong. However, Elliott didn’t shy away from the tough questions and delivered a brutally honest assessment that shed light on his shocking exit.

Chase Elliott assesses his 2024 campaign

Success in NASCAR requires every piece of the puzzle to fall into place from the drivers to the crew chiefs and engineers. For Elliott, those pieces improved in 2024 but didn’t align perfectly when it mattered most. Following a winless campaign in 2023, his next aim was the championship, which ended with a shocker.

Reflecting on his 2024 season, Elliott emphasized the importance of everything clicking together at once. ” (It was) a little bit of everything, in my opinion. I just think everyone stepped up. I think Alan was calling great races, felt like our prep work throughout the week on the car and just our race overlook was at an all-time high and I think I was doing a better job. It’s never one thing. I’m sorry, but it’s just not,” Elliott told Hendrick Motorsports.

Notably, this year Elliott will enter his 10th cup series season with Hendrick Motorsports. In over 320 race starts Elliott has registered 19 wins and one championship in 2020. However, in the last couple of years, his performance saw a dip. In 2023, he suffered a freak snowboarding accident that led to a broken left tibia and missing six races. He did race later that season and put up a strong show overall with 7 top-5 finishes. However, he couldn’t notch up a win and ultimately missed the playoffs. The 2024 season witnessed his comeback when he won in Texas and qualified for the playoffs.

He then kicked off the playoffs with strong finishes, including eighth at Atlanta and second at Bristol. Even when a crash at Las Vegas forced him into a must-win scenario, Elliott delivered stellar performances at Homestead and Martinsville. Unfortunately, the team fell short of advancing by one position.

Despite this heartbreak, Elliott had a solid season. His 19 top-10 finishes and average finish of 11.7 were among the best in the Cup Series. However, these achievements were overshadowed by the bitter sting of falling short of a second championship. Yet Elliott is set for another hustle in 2025 as he focuses on making a steady improvement.

“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. If we’re accomplishing my goals and our team’s goals on a week-to-week basis, then I think the championship stuff is going to fix itself,” he said. Consistency is key for Elliott as he focuses on the present. However, Elliott will have to see one thing change in the middle of the season and that’s his paint scheme!

Unlike his red Llumar paint scheme, the seven-time Most Popular Driver winner will drive a unique UniFirst paint scheme at select races. The No.9 Chevrolet will get repainted for Homestead-Miami Speedway, Darlington Raceway (spring), Michigan International Speedway, Richmond Raceway, and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

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Will NASCAR force HMS to sell one charter?

As Chase Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports gear up for 2025, NASCAR’s rule has sparked controversy across the motorsport community. The 2025 season will kick off under a new charter system that limits teams to own a maximum of three charters. According to the new rule, NASCAR has grandfathered teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, who are already driving four cars. The rule allows teams that already have 4-car operations to keep it as it is and have not been requested to sell a charter.

However, other teams can run a fourth car, but only as an open entry without financial security or guaranteed starting spots. This decision has sparked a huge uproar as fans demand fairness in competition. Some even argue that NASCAR should force HMS and JGR to sell or surrender one of their active charters.

It’s worth noting that this is not the first time when NASCAR has downsized the number of allowed charters. In 2006 the sanctioning body reduced allowed charters from five to four. NASCAR asked Roush Racing, which had five charters in 2006, to reduce their squad within three years. However, the recent agreement didn’t reveal any such decision which led to the backlash. Do you think NASCAR should ask HMS and JGR to downsize their squad?