Chase Elliott and his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team gave it his all for a Championship 4 berth in Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville. (Photo: Sydney Redden | The Podium Finish)
RIDGEWAY, Va. — Chase Elliott’s bid for a second NASCAR Cup Series championship ended Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, where the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet finished third in the Xfinity 500. Despite a strong showing, Elliott fell short of a Championship 4 berth, leaving the three-time winner reflecting on what might have been and praising the performances of his competitors.
“Just be positioned better. Obviously, those final laps get tough when the guys out front have a big advantage when the track cleans off like that. It was just going to be difficult. I was just hoping, in my position, to get to a spot where I could maybe capitalize if something crazy happened,” Elliott said when asked what he could have done differently in the closing laps.
The race was a strategic battle in the waning stages, and Elliott admitted a combination of track position and timing ultimately kept him from challenging for the lead.
“Outside of that, we just got a little too far behind at the three-quarter mark,” he remarked. “We got caught a lap down in the cycle, and then from there, we were just kind of playing catch-up. We just weren’t quite good enough, truthfully. William (Byron) and the No. 24 team did a great job and capitalized on a fast Saturday; put themselves in a good spot and got it done.”
Elliott’s third-place finish came after months of consistent performance in the playoffs, which saw Hendrick Motorsports cars competing at the front across multiple tracks. While the result ended his championship hopes, Elliott emphasized the progress his team has made in recent weeks.
“I feel like we’ve had some of our best races over the last month, which is a lot of fun to end the year strong and be up there in the mix a lot more. I’m proud of that and the fight all day today and throughout the week and the effort everybody at Hendrick Motorsports put into these cars and just trying to bring our very best here, I thought we did that. Unfortunately, we just came up short. But fortunately, we got two cars into the Championship 4 and hopefully one of them can get it done,” he said.
Sunday’s race at Martinsville was a testament to the unpredictable nature of the Cup Series, where clean air, track position, and split-second decisions often dictate the outcome. For Elliott, the challenge was keeping pace with the front-runners while navigating a circuit known for tight turns and high-intensity moments.
As the season moves to Phoenix Raceway for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, Elliott reflected on the team’s effort and their potential impact on the finale.
Chase Elliott was encouraged by the pace and performance of his No. 9 Chevrolet last Sunday at Martinsville. (Photo: Sydney Redden | The Podium Finish)
“I’m looking forward to Phoenix and seeing where we stack up,” Elliott said in a team press release. “We’ve made really good progress on similar tracks throughout the season. Like Gateway [World Wide Technology Raceway], I was really proud of how we ran there. Honestly, I’m proud of how strong we’ve been at a lot of tracks in the later part of this year. We’ve put in a lot of effort. We just came up short. Hopefully William [Byron] or Kyle [Larson] is able to get it done this weekend.”
The Xfinity 500 highlighted both the strengths and limitations of Elliott’s campaign. While he was competitive and showed flashes of speed throughout the race, a combination of race strategy, track position, and timing ultimately kept him from advancing.
Elliott acknowledged the accomplishments of his competitors and the hard work required to reach the Championship 4. His praise for William Byron and the No. 24 team reflected the respect among drivers in a highly competitive field. Even without a shot at the title, Elliott’s comments emphasized sportsmanship and recognition of those who capitalized on opportunities.
“William [Byron] and the No. 24 team did a great job and capitalized on a fast Saturday; put themselves in a good spot and got it done,” he said, highlighting the razor-thin margins that separate success from disappointment in the playoffs.
Despite the disappointment, Elliott took pride in the team’s performance, particularly over the last month of the season. Hendrick Motorsports has made measurable progress on tracks that reward speed and adaptability, and Elliott’s remarks emphasized that while a championship run ended at Martinsville, the momentum he and his team built carries into future opportunities.
“I feel like we’ve had some of our best races over the last month, which is a lot of fun to end the year strong and be up there in the mix a lot more,” he said. “I’m proud of that and the fight all day today and throughout the week and the effort everybody at Hendrick Motorsports put into these cars and just trying to bring our very best here, I thought we did that. Unfortunately, we just came up short.”
Elliott’s reflection underlined the competitive nature of the Cup Series, where even strong performances can fall short when opponents find just enough speed or positioning advantage. While finishing third at Martinsville did not yield the result he sought, the driver’s focus remains on preparation, learning, and maximizing performance in upcoming seasons.
Looking ahead, Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports turn their attention to Phoenix Raceway, where two Hendrick cars will compete for the championship. Elliott’s commentary suggests a balance of confidence and perspective as the team evaluates their strategy and results from Martinsville to inform the finale.
Chase Elliott hopes either of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates win the championship at Phoenix. (Photo: Sydney Redden | The Podium Finish)
The Xfinity 500 at Martinsville stands as a reminder of the intense competition in NASCAR’s playoffs, where every lap, pit stop, and decision can shape the championship landscape. Elliott’s third-place finish, while commendable, reinforced the fine margins that determine who competes for a title and who watches from the sidelines.
Ultimately, Elliott’s comments reflect both the pride in his team’s effort and the acknowledgment of what it takes to reach the pinnacle of the Cup Series. While the championship hopes for the No. 9 Chevrolet ended at Martinsville, the lessons learned and progress made set the stage for future contention.
As the season transitions to Phoenix, Elliott will join his Hendrick Motorsports teammates in analyzing performance, optimizing strategy, and striving to translate effort into results. His reflections on Martinsville illustrate a veteran driver’s ability to balance disappointment with recognition of achievement and potential.
For Chase Elliott, Martinsville was both a test and a lesson, a final challenge in a season of ups and downs that reinforced the relentless nature of the Cup Series and the persistence required to compete for championships.
