Let’s face the facts, the 2023 NASCAR Cup season has not been kind to Chase Elliott. Admittedly, part of it he brought it on himself. This was because he injured himself in a snowboarding accident and was out of action for a few races. He didn’t help his own case by earning a one-race suspension and robbing himself of another chance to reach the Playoffs. In the end, both he and Alex Bowman failed to qualify. This left Kyle Larson and William Byron as the sole Playoff representatives for Hendrick Motorsports.

Admittedly, even if Elliott can’t fight for the driver’s championship, he and Bowman can still score points. This would go a long way for them to win the team’s championship. Of course, Elliott is still winless this year, but not for the lack of trying. The 2020 Cup Series champion has finished in the Top 5 on multiple occasions, even as high as 2nd. However, it was always so close, but no cigar for the Georgia native.

Can Chase Elliott still redeem himself in 2023?

There is still time to salvage something from this dumpster fire of a campaign. However, since there are three races left, time is running out for him to get that elusive race win. This could potentially end a five-year streak with at least one race win in the Cup Series. He has never won at Homestead-Miami, but his father Bill Elliott managed to achieve it. Additionally, teammate Kyle Larson was last year’s winner at the track, so it has been proven that Hendrick Motorsports can perform well there.

Even if he does not win at Homestead-Miami, he could still try his luck in Martinsville and Phoenix. Both of those tracks are places where he has won in the past. As a matter of fact, Chase Elliott triumphed at both venues during his championship-winning season. So for all the Chase Elliott fans, there is no cause for alarm just yet. In the event that he is forced to go winless, he will just have to suck it up and try again in 2024. Obviously, he will be sure to try to avoid injuries that could rule him out for multiple races.

It will be a very difficult conversation for Rick Hendrick on whether to allow extracurricular or put his foot down. Elliott’s and Bowman’s situations only serve to confirm his fears of these activities interfering with his championship challenge. However, Kyle Larson is on the opposite end of the spectrum, as he is well known for his non-NASCAR exploits. So far, he is doing just fine, juggling NASCAR and his other racing exploits, so should he be forced to stop because of his teammates?

There has been a setback for the 2020 Cup Series champion

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Unfortunately, he made his own job a lot harder, yet again. This was because he wrecked his #9 car during the practice session at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Normally, this would not have been such a big deal, but in Hendrick Motorsports’ case, it created a dire situation. They couldn’t fix up his car on time, so they switched to a spare car.

The bad news was that the backup car was not particularly quick, and it showed on the racetrack. As it turned out, he failed to earn any stage points and ultimately ended the race in a humiliating 32nd place. To make matters worse, he even copped a penalty in the race and this hampered his progress even further. Owing to those shenanigans, the Hendrick Motorsports driver could not add to the team’s tally.

Where does the Las Vegas result leave Chase Elliott?

After Las Vegas, the points gulf has widened even further and made things difficult for Elliott. The #9 team currently trails 61 points below the cut line with three races to go. Currently, Christopher Bell’s #20 Joe Gibbs Racing team occupies the final spot in the Championship 4 for the team’s standings. All this is in spite of the fact that Bell is below the cut line in the driver’s standings, behind Martin Truex Jr’s #19 team.

What this means for Elliott is that he is locked in a must-win situation. In other words, he has to somehow fight and win, either at Homestead-Miami or Martinsville. These two races are his only chance of actually contributing something to Hendrick Motorsports’ championship challenge. Considering that the driver’s championship opportunity sailed away long ago, this is a shot at redemption.

READ MORE: “F*ck! What the F*ck!”- Kyle Larson Stealing Rick Hendrick’s Superstar’s Thunder Leaves William Byron Livid

Will Elliott finally win a NASCAR Cup Series race this season?

As mentioned before, he has recorded a fair few Top 5 finishes and was even 2nd at Indianapolis and Auto Club. Considering that Hendrick Motorsports is one of the best teams, a win shouldn’t be too far off. Chase Elliott is a top-class driver and a champion, but he was just dealt a bad hand this year. Next year, Elliott will definitely try and keep himself injury-free and drive clean. He has been consistent in 2023, with seven Top 5 finishes and fifteen Top 10 finishes.

At least he can take comfort in the fact that he is not alone in his misery. While Kyle Larson and William Byron are reaping rewards, Alex Bowman is also struggling and is winless this year. Additionally, he has not been as consistent as Elliott and also missed a few races due to injury. For Bowman, things are pretty dire, as he is lying all the way down in 19th place in the team’s Playoff standings. In other words, only Elliott, Larson and Byron are in Playoff contention.

Of course, the road will not be easy, especially since Larson and Byron have their title challenge to think of. Larson is already sitting pretty because he is through to the Championship 4. This was after he triumphed at Las Vegas, ahead of Christopher Bell in the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Speaking of Joe Gibbs Racing, though, they outnumber the Hendrick drivers, three to two, with Martin Truex Jr, Denny Hamlin, and Bell himself. There are also drivers like Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and Chris Buescher, who could be wildcards.

WATCH THIS STORY: Kyle Petty Praises Goodyear Amidst Chase Elliott’s NASCAR Struggles