Hendrick Motorsports is facing escalating worries as fans express concern over Chase Elliott‘s performance in the 2025 NASCAR season, with many drawing parallels to Kasey Kahne‘s late-career struggles. Despite retaining fourth place in the driver standings, Elliott’s lack of laps led compared to his Hendrick Motorsports teammates has ignited a wave of passionate reactions, leaving both the team and its supporters anxious about what lies ahead.
For years, comparisons between Kasey Kahne and Chase Elliott have revolved around their shared number nine and similar career arcs. Kahne’s return to NASCAR after a seven-year hiatus, finishing P14 in the Xfinity Series at Rockingham Raceway, has reminded many of his once-promising career which faded in the final seasons, culminating with just a single win in his last four years. Now, the American racing community sees echoes of that trajectory in Elliott, who started strong by capturing a Cup Series championship for Hendrick Motorsports in 2020 but has recently shown signs of decline.
Statistics emerging from the Hendrick Motorsports stable highlight the concern. After 11 races in the 2025 season, Elliott has led a mere 44 laps – a number far behind Kyle Larson’s 503, William Byron’s 354, and Alex Bowman’s 107 laps led. This has marked Elliott as the least dominant at the front among his teammates by a significant margin, leading many fans to question whether his competitive edge has dulled.
Social media has been ablaze as these numbers circulate. One fan vented on X,
Chase doesn’t even seem interested half the time lol can’t blame him honestly after watching the last few races.
The comparison to Kahne was made explicit by another, stating,
Can’t believe he went from one of the best to damn is he Kasey Kahne.
Further comments captured a blend of humor and frustration, including, “Burger King is hiring,” and the pointed reminder,
Larson has led more in one race then chase has all season.
These reactions paint a conflicted picture of both anticipation and disappointment among the Hendrick Motorsports faithful.
Despite the criticism, Elliott remains a formidable presence. Having secured three top-five finishes and six top-10s so far, he sits 83 points behind Byron. Although this suggests that consistent finishes are achievable, it also highlights the challenge of keeping up with his faster teammates. For Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott’s situation raises pressing questions: Can their former champion reignite the spark needed to challenge for wins, or will 2025 mark the start of a more significant shift within the team?
The upcoming months are likely to be pivotal, not only for Elliott but for Hendrick Motorsports as a whole. The outcome could influence everything from team dynamics to future driver lineups. As fans and insiders watch closely, the need for improvement grows urgent, potentially signaling a major shakeup if results don’t soon improve.
Ask all drivers without a win if they’d swap places in NASCAR’s Points System with Zchase. They’d ALL say YES.