Chase Elliott candidly addressed his experiences during the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series, expressing both frustration and hope as he and Hendrick Motorsports ended the season with notable achievements but below their previous best. Entering the new year, Elliott is determined to maintain the momentum gained during the closing races of the 2025 campaign as he prepares for another run at the championship.
Elliott Assesses Last Season’s Challenges
Chase Elliott, who represents Hendrick Motorsports, openly admitted that both he and his team struggled to reach their highest performance level for most of the 2025 Cup Series. Despite securing two race victories and collecting 19 top-10 finishes along with 11 top-fives, Elliott said he did not feel like he was returning to his peak form seen between 2018 and 2022 until the tail end of last season.
The 2025 season wrapped up with Elliott feeling the team was only then closing in on their championship-caliber standards. For Elliott, relying on “feel” rather than stats has become a defining measure of success and progress, suggesting a more nuanced view of achievement behind the wheel.
Frustration and Hopes for 2026 as Uncertainty Looms
The NASCAR community prepares for the 2026 season amid mixed feelings, especially in light of recent scheduling changes due to weather interruptions, including postponements for the Cook Out Clash, which is now set to begin on Monday. Elliott, undeterred by these uncertainties, is eager to translate his improved pace at the end of 2025 into stronger performances in the upcoming campaign.
“Obviously, the Clash [Elliott won the 2025 edition of the Cook Out Clash] went really well, which doesn’t have anything to do with the numbers,”
Elliott said, via ESPN.
“But that part went well. I thought some of the opening speedway races went well. Truthfully, I think some of the numbers were reflected by the fact that we didn’t get caught up in the wrecks. And that skews things, right, when you have fewer numbers there early in the season.”
— Chase Elliott, Driver
Performance Versus Perception: A Matter of Feel
Elliott’s approach to evaluating his own and his team’s results does not focus on pure statistics. According to the 2020 Cup Series champion, how a season feels in terms of week-to-week competitiveness and position is a more valid measurement of form than merely accounting for technical results. He emphasized his desire for consistent contention over isolated wins throughout the demanding campaign.
“I thought we were getting closer, for sure. You always have high expectations of yourself and of your team, so it’s always tough for me to answer that. I guess defining form, that’s tough. It’s always a ‘What have you done lately?’ That’s in life and certainly in sports. It’s more about putting yourself in position consistently and every week than it is the actual win. You’re going to get your turn. You will get your opportunity.”
— Chase Elliott, Driver
“It’s not always going to work out for you. … But if you put yourself there often enough, it will, and that’s more of what I want to see and what our definition of being in form is.”
— Chase Elliott, Driver
Significance for Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, and the Upcoming NASCAR Season
Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports will enter the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series with lessons learned and clear intentions to build on their late-season improvements. Their experiences from 2025, marked by resilience and a shift in measuring progress, have set the stage for a potentially more competitive year. Fan frustration over scheduling and championship formats remains an additional challenge, but Elliott’s focus is firmly on converting opportunity and consistency into renewed success, making him a key driver to watch in the 2026 field.
