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BROOKLYN, MI – AUGUST 11: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Consmers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway on August 11, 2018 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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BROOKLYN, MI – AUGUST 11: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Consmers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway on August 11, 2018 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
For the first time in his NASCAR career, Chase Elliott will be taking on the role of defending champion. At the 2021 Daytona 500, he finished second behind winner, Michael McDowell. In the process, he managed to score a career-best finish in the iconic race. Up until then, he had never finished in the Top 10, never mind the Top 5
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He confessed that he would love to have more wins than last year’s tally. Elliott also said, “Getting better at bad race tracks” is the biggest obstacle that he wants to overcome. He also said, “Past success does not equal future success” is one of the biggest lessons that he wants to learn.
Can Chase Elliott defend his title?
In theory, he can definitely perform such a feat. However, all this is easier said than done, as there are plenty of tough opponents to overcome. Of course, he did a good job at the Daytona 500 with his second-place finish. However, he has to put in a consistent performance in order to win a second consecutive Cup Series title.
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MARTINSVILLE, VA – MARCH 27: Chase Elliott, driver of the #25 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet, speaks to the media during a press conference after qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images)
On the bright side, the Hendrick Motorsports team is one of the best NASCAR teams in the Cup Series. So, he will definitely be one of the favorites to win more Cup titles. Last year, Chase Elliott notched up five wins during the season, including the all-important Phoenix win.
This time, he will be keen to add more wins under his belt. However, Kevin Harvick also proved that racking up more wins means nothing if the triumphs are not strategic.
In other words, Elliott may want to aspire for more wins, but he knows in the back of his mind that he needs to win where it counts. Failure to do just that is what cost poor old Harvick to miss out on a Championship 4 berth.
