Hendrick Motorsports finished 2024 on a high note. With each of its four drivers tasting success, it was a superb 40th anniversary for the NASCAR Cup Series team. All four racers combined to deliver 11 checkered flags, and each finished in the top nine in the final points standings, led by Byron in third. However, a crucial disparity separates three of them from one—consistency—and Chase Elliott leads in this regard.

The No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts driver roared back from a lackluster 2023 season. Elliott snapped a 42-race winless streak at Texas Motor Speedway in April this year. Although his Victory Lane visits ceased after that, Elliot could boast jaw-dropping stats that carried him to the Round of 8 in the playoffs. His remarkable path throws his overachieving teammate Kyle Larson’s performance into focus.

Chase Elliott’s resume shines brighter

Kyle Larson was indubitably the greatest achiever this season. He picked up 6 Cup race victories—Las Vegas, Kansas, Sonoma, and Indianapolis in the regular season, and Bristol and Charlotte in the playoffs. Nobody could rival his laps led (1700) and top fives (15). However, Larson faced several hiccups as well, especially during the latter end of the playoffs. His absence at the Coca-Cola 600 brought a crucial point gap, and then he lost significant points with that late-race spin at Homestead. On the other hand, Chase Elliott maintained a cool composure almost throughout the season. Despite boasting only a single Texas win, he quietly progressed from his 2023 mishap.

A recent statistical diagram posted by a NASCAR fan highlights this disparity clearly. Kyle Larson‘s top-five bar stands tall at 15, and his 6th-10th finishes’ bar stands at 3. However, his other bars do not match this high-level achievement. Larson finished in the 31st to 35th bracket 4 times and also in the 35th to 40th bracket 2 times. These stats point to the 5 DNFs he faced this season. In comparison, Chase Elliott faced only 2 DNFs, and so he finished in the 21st to 40th bracket only four times. His top tens (19) are higher than Larson’s 18 top tens. Elliott also clinched 11 top-fives—clearly showing the consistency he displayed this season.

Although Chase Elliott cracked the playoffs, he could not make it past the Round of 8. Yet Kyle Larson’s heartbreak at the end of 2024 probably stings more. Despite owning 6 race wins, he finished 6th in points—and subtly hinted at NASCAR’s ‘crazy’ playoff system. “We had a ton of speed from race one to race 38, really. Yeah, I was happy. Obviously you want to make the final four and have a shot at the championship, but at the same point, like, I also understand the format and know kind of how crazy it can be and all that. So, I don’t let finishing sixth in points take anything away from our season.”

On the other side, Chase Elliott patted his team on the back for a resurgent season.

Counting his blessings

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Around this time last year, Chase Elliott was bracing himself for a thunderous comeback. Because 2023 was particularly rough for him. After suffering a broken leg in a snowboarding mishap, Elliott missed 6 races. Then he missed out on another race after landing a suspension for rough driving in the Coca-Cola 600. Despite receiving waivers to protect his playoff eligibility, Elliott failed to crack the postseason field. But this disastrous season taught him a good lesson: to come back even stronger. And Chase did—breaking his 42-race winless skid in Texas and following it up with consistent finishes.

He finished 7th in the Cup Series standings this season, wrapping the year up with an eighth-place result at Phoenix Raceway. Despite failing to snuggle with the best in the Championship 4, Elliott was content. He was happy that he and his team had made it this far. “Nothing is ever perfect, I guess, in my eyes, but I am really proud of where we’ve come from and where we have been, particularly over the last few months of the season and even more so over the last few weeks. I just feel like we have a really good direction…I’m giving them better feedback on what I want and what I need, and I think all those things are really positive. So, yeah, I don’t know that you ever have it figured out, but I’m certainly, genuinely proud of where we’ve been and where we are right now.”

Clearly, Chase Elliott knew exactly what he was doing this season. As 2025 rolls into view, it would not be surprising if our No. 9 star made an even stronger championship bid.