Sixteen cautions today meant practically an extra sixteen laps at Texas, and after all that chaos, Chase Elliott snagged the win. It was a rough race for everyone, but especially for folks like Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott, who might still be shaking off the cobwebs from recent shoulder surgeries. Just before the COTA race, Denny Hamlin was pretty upfront, saying he’d need another two weeks to feel right. Chase Elliott, on the other hand, seemed more upbeat, claiming he felt good, but today, something seemingly felt off. Maybe his shoulder’s not quite back to 100%, or could it be the old injury flaring up again?

Chase Elliott is back; but so is his shoulder injury?

Chase Elliott just broke a 42-race dry spell with a win at Texas Motor Speedway in a race that ended under a yellow flag, notching his 19th Cup victory. This win means a lot, especially after a rough 2023, both on the track and health-wise. Last year, Elliott faced some serious hurdles, including a snowboarding mishap early in the season that led to a broken tibia, sidelining him for several races and necessitating surgery on his left leg. To top it off, he had another surgery at the end of the season, this time on his shoulder, which he mentioned was an “old” injury.

When 2024 rolled around, Elliott was back in the driver’s seat, claiming he could race without any shoulder pain. To really put his shoulder to the test, he even hit the track at New Smyrna Speedway for a super late models race, just a stone’s throw from Daytona. He didn’t win—Bubba Pollard took that honor—finishing sixth, but the real victory for Elliott was his shoulder holding up through the race.

Chase Elliott finally broke his winless streak, but it looks like his victory lap came with a bit of discomfort. As the video broadcast started during the post-race press conference, Elliott seemed to be grappling with discomfort in his right shoulder as he kept shifting and adjusting it with his other hand, trying to get comfortable. This certainly raises questions about whether he’s still feeling the effects of his recent shoulder surgery.

After the Clash of Coliseum race, Elliott shared, “The shoulder feels good; I was doing a lot of rehab over the winter two or three days a week, working real hard at it to try to get in a position where I could drive in the Clash because that window was pretty tight. I feel like it’s in a good place. After the Clash it felt good and after the event at New Smyrna, it felt good there too,” as reported by The Tennessean. Yet, the demanding races might probably be starting to wear on him.

For now, though, it’s all about savoring this win. Sure, Elliott’s probably keen on not letting any lingering injuries mess with his upcoming races.

Happy #9 driver expressed gratitude for his journey

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Chase Elliott snagged the lead late in the race and held it through a nail-biter of a finish, navigating through multiple overtime restarts before finally taking the checkered flag when a late caution froze the field. Post-race, Elliott reflected on his journey to this victory, “I couldn’t be more grateful for this journey and kind of the path that hasn’t always been fun, but certainly have enjoyed working with our guys. We’ve been working really hard and really well together. Like I said, hasn’t always been fun, but we’ve enjoyed the fight together.”

He didn’t miss a beat to give a shout out to his fans and his team for staying loyal during his recent dry spell: “Couldn’t be more proud of our team. Boss (team owner Rick Hendrick), thank you for sticking with me. Really, really proud of this. Appreciate all the folks back home that have stuck with me and helped us get back on track.”

After offseason shoulder surgery to tackle ongoing pain, Elliott’s set on leaving last year’s struggles in the dust. With the full backing of Hendrick Motorsports and his crew’s relentless support, he’s geared up to chase down more wins in the upcoming Cup races.