Chase Elliott and NASCAR playoffs used to go hand-in-hand until the 2023 season. A snowboarding injury combined with a race suspension put the Hendrick Motorsports driver in a difficult position. Despite losing out for a place in the final 16 for the first time in his Cup Series career, Elliott remained a proud Chevrolet driver.
Among the current three manufacturers in the sport, Chevrolet remains the winningest one. While Toyota and Ford have made it tough, Chevy cars have enjoyed plenty of success in the Cup Series as was the case in 2023.
Despite having a poor season, Chase Elliott remains in awe of Chevrolet
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Chase Elliott was unfortunate in missing out on seven races in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series campaign. While he had his chances after recovering from his snowboarding injury, he struggled to capitalize on them. Eventually, he failed to qualify for the playoffs and finished 17th in the standings.
For a driver of his standard, it was indeed a poor season. Despite finishing seven times in the top five and 15 times in the top ten, Elliott faced plenty of criticism. While this speaks volumes about the standards expected of him, he is still happy with his car manufacturer.
Congrats champ! ? @Blaney pic.twitter.com/o140UjCnkj
? Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) November 6, 2023
It is amazing how the Georgia-born has been associated with Chevrolet in all three NASCAR national series. At every level in his career, Elliott has found success with them. He was quick to praise them after they won the manufacturer’s championship in the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Truck Series in 2023. In light of this, the #9 driver posted an Instagram story that read, “Proud to be a part of the team Chevy family.”
For the third consecutive year, Chevrolet triumphed with a manufacturers’ championship in the Cup Series. More notably, it was their 42nd title win in the history of the competition. Their championship win was confirmed at Martinsville Speedway. As far as the Xfinity Series and Truck Series are concerned, they clinched those two titles at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
RICKY STENHOUSE JR WINS THE 65TH DAYTONA 500!
The No. 47 delivers the biggest victory for @JTGRacing in “The Great American Race” after a big wreck ensues on the final lap.#NASCAR #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/otV0xMw0cy
? NASCAR on TSN (@NASCARonTSN) February 19, 2023
In the Cup Series, Chevrolet won 18 races with seven different drivers. While it all started with Ricky Stenhouse Jr winning the Daytona 500, it ended with Ross Chastain winning the final race at Phoenix Raceway. One of the highlights for Chevrolet was seeing Shane van Gisbergen win right away in his debut race in Chicago.
Having said that, the biggest contribution of wins for Chevrolet came from Hendrick Motorsports in the Cup Series.
Hendrick Motorsports proved their dominance with Chevrolet cars in the 2023 Cup Series
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While Chase Elliott had his share of struggles in the 2023 campaign, it wasn’t the case for all Hendrick Motorsports drivers. William Byron and Kyle Larson won six and four times respectively this season. They contributed in ten of the 18 races Chevrolet won in the Cup Series.
Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch added three wins from his end. The remaining victories came from Ross Chastain, Shane van Gisbergen, and A.J. Allmendinger. While this was the case in the Cup Series, JR Motorsports played a pivotal role in helping Chevrolet win in the Xfinity Series.
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What a season it has been for @CarsonHocevar.
? Four wins
? 11 top-five finishes
? 271 laps led pic.twitter.com/o8ZXHJ9fxC? NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) October 31, 2023
JRM registered eight wins followed by RCR’s four, Kaulig Racing’s four, and Jordan Anderson Racing’s single victory. In Chevrolet’s 17 Xfinity wins, Sam Mayer and Justin Allgaier helped with four wins each. On the other hand, Carson Hocevar’s breakthrough season in the Truck Series helped Chevrolet immensely. His four wins proved to be the key to the manufacturer’s championship victory.
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This was the first time since 2012 that Chevrolet went on to register title victories across all three of NASCAR’s national series. Will they be able to repeat the same feat next year? Well, only time can answer this.
WATCH THIS STORY: Chase Elliott’s NASCAR Journey: Triumphs, Trials, and a Billion-Dollar Sponsorship