$12M NASCAR star Chase Elliott's crew chief Alan Gustafson “excited” for Phoenix Raceway challenge

Chase Elliott may be winless this season, but the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports crew is excited for the Phoenix spring race. Crew chief Alan Gustafson is looking forward to the weekend as it serves as a preview of the championship race.

Elliott, worth $12 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth), enters Shriners Children's 500 fifth in the standings. He is one of the NASCAR Cup Series drivers aiming to secure their first victory in 2025 alongside pre-race favorite Ryan Blaney.

In a press release, Gustafson made his feelings known about the fourth race of the season at Phoenix Raceway.

"And we’re all aware of that," Gustafson said on Phoenix Raceway hosting championship race later in the year.

"I feel like we have some good direction and I’m excited. Anytime you have some direction it’s exciting to have that path. I feel like we have some good direction and have had a good three or four days of preparation for it, so I’m excited to go let it rip," he added.

Chase Elliott drives the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports - Source: Imagn

The driver and crew chief duo are no strangers to winning at Phoenix Raceway. They won the 2020 season finale at the Arizona-based oval track, securing Chase Elliott's first NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Elliott and Gustafson have been racing together since the dawn of the driver's career in the premier series.

The Shriners Children's 500 is the first of two stops at Phoenix Raceway this year. The second stop in November is slated to host the Championship 4 race, with Joey Logano competing as the defending champ.

For now, the No. 9 crew gears up for 312 laps of racing around the 1.0-mile track on Sunday. Fans can catch the race on FS1 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

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"Awesome to watch": Chase Elliott on clean racing at the end of COTA race

Chase Elliott enters the Phoenix Raceway race weekend following a respectable fourth-place finish at the Circuit of the Americas. Despite being out of contention for the win, Elliott enjoyed the three-way battle towards the end of the road course race.

For the unversed, Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, and William Byron were fighting for the lead at COTA last week. They may have been trading positions, but the drivers kept the racing clean, with Bell eventually taking the lead all the way to the finish line.

Speaking about the stage three showdown, Elliott said (via Frontstretch):

"That right there is a great example of three very respectful, talented race car drivers duking it out for the win without crashing each other. It was awesome to watch."

As for Chase Elliott's race, the Dawsonville native climbed back to the front after dropping down the order on the first lap. He was spun out by Ross Chastain in a five-wide situation heading into turn one.

The fourth-place finish is Elliott's best finishing position in a points-paying race this year. He only won the Busch Light Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, which was a pre-season race.