Denny Hamlin has recognized the recent incredible form of Chase Elliott, who has emerged as the Chase Elliott NASCAR Cup Series leader after several standout performances. Hamlin discussed Elliott’s impressive run and his position atop the standings on his podcast, reaching this level following consistent improvements and critical races.
Over the past few weeks, Hamlin noted that Elliott has accelerated his momentum in the series.
Six weeks ago, he was 10th to 15th every week and then would finish in the top 10 because attrition and whatever, and now he’s leading,
said Denny Hamlin about Chase Elliott. Hamlin also compared Elliott’s situation to that of William Byron and other top contenders, saying several faced setbacks while Elliott managed to avoid such issues.
A lot of it is [William] Byron‘s had a very tough couple months. All of us guys at the top, there was three or four of us that had major issues. Chase doesn’t have those.
Chase Elliott changes the NASCAR Cup Series landscape
After the Michigan Cup Series race, Elliott found himself trailing the points lead by a notable 112 points. However, since then, the Georgia native has quickly closed the gap by delivering three top-five finishes and securing a win in Atlanta. His recent sixth-place finish at Dover Motor Speedway further underlined his consistency. Despite not winning at Dover, Elliott led the field for 238 out of 407 laps, dominating much of the race and reinforcing his new position as the series points leader.
This strong showing prompted Hamlin to reflect on Elliott’s performance.
To me it felt like one of his stronger performances,
Hamlin stated, and he emphasized Elliott’s reputation for controlling races.
…I just feel as though Chase is one of those guys that leads 100-200 laps in races, right? He’ll get you really good finishes and he’ll get you some wins, but it’s not dominating.
Hamlin further highlighted,
nine car was the most dominant car for the first half of the race.
He credited Elliott’s team for turning things around, calling out their newfound strength in recent events.
He’s made a massive run, and it’s not just because of this one week,
Hamlin elaborated.
I’ve just feel like they’ve turned the corner, and they are stronger now than what they were.
Insight into Elliott’s team and recent strategy debates
Even as Elliott’s momentum has lifted him to the top, scrutiny followed his crew chief Alan Gustafson after a pivotal decision at Dover. Gustafson called for Elliott to pit for two tires late in the race while leading, a choice some fans questioned as rain loomed. Hamlin responded directly to this criticism, dismissing the negativity around Gustafson’s call. That is so silly do, Hamlin commented about the outrage. He added,
I get it. It’s always got to be someone’s fault why you didn’t win that day. But sometimes s**t just doesn’t work out. It’s called racing.
Elliott, with the support of his crew chief and team, will attempt to maintain his impressive form as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The next challenge will be the Brickyard 400, a race where the Georgia driver has participated seven times and achieved two top-10 finishes so far.
As Elliott sets his sights on extending his lead in the points standings, both fans and fellow drivers are watching whether his team can maintain its resilience and performance in a season filled with unexpected developments and close competition.
