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Chase Elliott recently highlighted what work needs to be done to continue on the path after a bounce-back 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. The 29-year-old driver had much-improved results finishing seventh in the final driver's standings after ending the 2023 season outside the top 15.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver, Elliott, has been a part of NASCAR's premier division for almost 10 years and will continue driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick this coming season.
Since his full-time debut in the Cup Series, Elliott didn't finish outside the top-10 final points standings until 2023, when he had to find his footing on track after recovering from a snowboarding accident. However, the 2020 Cup Series champion Elliott has found his groove and is looking forward to starting the 2025 season strong after showing consistent results throughout the last season.
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In a recent conversation, the Dawsonville, Georgia native opened up about finding validation in several Cup races throughout the season and on the opportunities to be in contention to win.
"Honestly, I think from my perspective and where I'm at in my career right now is just trying to get more competitive on a weekly basis," Elliott said via Hendrick Motorsports. "And if, if we're accomplishing my goals and our team's goals on a week-to-week basis, then I think the championship stuff is going to fix itself.
"You know, you're eventually going to get your turn. But you've got to keep putting yourself in those positions and I think for us, it's just about having a little more pace, leading some more laps, being more aggressive," he added.
Apart from breaking his 42-race winless streak and winning the AutoTrader Echopark Automotive 400 race at Texas Motor Speedway in April 2024, Chase Elliott was awarded NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award for the seventh time in a row.
"Grateful for the fans": Chase Elliott on being the Most Popular Driver and honoring family legacy
Chase Elliott has earned the NASCAR Most Popular Driver award after dethroning Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2017 until the latter's retirement. Not only the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports driver but also his father, Bill Elliott, has held the throne for being the most popular from 1991 to 2000 and again in 2002.
Following his seventh Most Popular award, Elliott shared his thoughts on the importance of continuing this legacy and expressed his gratitude to his grand fanbase. He said:
"They laid the foundation for me to be here and to have some of the opportunities I’ve had throughout my career," Elliott said via Autoweek. "I look at it from that perspective more than anything."
Furthermore, he added:
"I’m certainly grateful for the fans across the board. They’ve been great to me throughout my career. I’ve had the fortunate experience of seeing all that and living that first-hand. It means a lot to me. I’ll never take that for granted. I certainly want to try to make those people proud as we move into next year and beyond."
It is worth mentioning that the National Motorsports Press Association has been presenting this award for two famed families—the Earnhardts and the Elliotts—for the past 33 years.
