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Chase Elliott Calls 2025 Season Good But Not Great
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Highlights
- Chase Elliott earned two wins and 19 top-5 finishes in 2025.
- Finished eighth in championship with fourth highest overall points.
- Average qualifying position dropped to 16.1, below his career average.
- Strong late-season performances highlighted improved competitiveness in qualifying.
- Team aims to improve qualifying speed for 2026 season.
Chase Elliott characterizes his 2025 NASCAR Cup season as good, not great, after two wins and 19 top-fives. He finishes eighth, yet ranks fourth on total points from Daytona to Phoenix.
Elliott ranks fourth on total points across the full season despite finishing eighth in the championship.
The No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet delivers reliable race pace, but the team’s benchmark remains higher. Peaks in performance are offset by missed execution and uneven weekends.
“It was okay at times, and really solid at others, but it just wasn’t great,” Elliott says during a media appearance for his most popular driver award.
Qualifying emerges as the defining weakness. Elliott’s average start slips to 16.1, compared to his 11.1 career mark, costing stage points and stronger pit selections.
Average starting position falls to 16.1, hampering stage points and pit stall priority.
The team targets single-lap speed all year and finds gains late. Elliott notes tangible improvement as the calendar winds down, with more competitive time-trial execution.
Playoff rounds intensify the penalty for mediocre grid spots, pressuring strategy and track position. Even so, Elliott’s form strengthens across the final six weeks.
“It was nice to end on a strong note,” Elliott says of his late-season surge.
The competitive picture is clear: race pace is broadly sound, but conversion depends on starting further forward. Better track position should unlock more control of race shape.
For 2026, the emphasis shifts to qualifying gains without sacrificing long-run balance. The objective is straightforward: turn consistent point scoring into more wins and deeper contention.
Visual Summary
Avg Qualifying: 16.1
Steady But Not Satisfied
Chase Elliott finished 8th in the championship but ranked 4th in total points.
2 wins, 19 top-5s.
Consistency was king—but true greatness slipped away.
2 wins, 19 top-5s.
Consistency was king—but true greatness slipped away.
2025 season momentum
“Good but not great.
We want more wins in 2026.”
John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.
