How Chase Elliott Navigated Through the 2020 Season to Reach His First NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race

The Championship 4 contenders for the 2020 Cup Series are Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, and Brad Keselowski. Elliott reached the Top-4 after an up and down season and will be gunning for his maiden title.

The 24-year-old has already surpassed his career-best finish of 5th place but knows that the championship is the ultimate goal.

This season, Elliott picked up 5 wins, including the All-Star race and the one that secured his Championship 4 slot. The driver has been fairly consistent this year, aside from a few hiccups that saw him outside the Top-20.

Out of 35 races, Chase Elliott has finished in the Top-10 at least 17 times, in addition to his 4 wins.

Statistically, there has been significant improvement in Elliott’s performance. Last year, he took 3 wins but recorded a lesser number of Top-10 finishes, which ultimately cost him.

To be precise, he finished the 2019 season in 10th place. Whatever happens this year, Chase Elliott won’t finish any lower than 4th.

Can Chase Elliott win the 2020 Cup Series?

Truthfully, he definitely has what it takes to bag the Cup Series crown. Elliott will also be boosted by his win at the Martinsville Speedway and will want to carry that momentum forward. To make matters even better, he is set to start on pole.

He has also been in good form in the Playoffs, finishing in the Top-10 on multiple occasions, apart from Darlington, Las Vegas, and Texas. Elliott even boasts of 2 playoff wins in the 2020 season, including the Martinsville triumph.

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However, his Phoenix Raceway track record has been topsy-turvy. This is because he finished 2nd in 2017, but the subsequent races saw him finish 23rd and 39th, respectively.

This time around, he will be keen to right that statistic and finally get that elusive Phoenix win. Admittedly, the battle will not be easy, as Hamlin, Logano, and Keselowski are no slouches.

Without a reasonable doubt, the 3 of them will make life difficult for Chase Elliott. Additionally, the rest of the grid will also be trying to end the season on a high note and could potentially ruin his championship hopes.

There is also the added pressure to emulate his father, Bill Elliott, who won the Cup Series in 1988.

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