NASCAR: Reviewing Chase Elliott’s 2015 Sprint Cup Season
By Cole Mentzel
Before the NASCAR season kicked off, it was announced that Chase Elliott would take over Jeff Gordon’s famous #24 ride in 2016. Just a year after winning a Championship in the Xfinity Series, Elliott was faced with the challenge of racing in the Xfinity Series while preparing to go full-time in the Sprint Cup Series for the next season.
Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports decided it would benefit Elliott to race five Sprint Cup races in the #25 car in order to get a little experience. Throughout the 2015 NASCAR regular season, he appeared at Martinsville, Richmond, Charlotte, Indianapolis and Darlington racing in the #25 NAPA car and though he didn’t race that well, he gained a few new skills that will help him once he moves on to full time Sprint Cup racing in 2016.
Elliott’s first ever Sprint Cup race was at Martinsville and it was less than spectacular. Early on in the race, he got caught up in traffic and ended up getting in a wreck with Brett Moffitt. His car was not in great shape and he spent some time behind the wall but eventually got back on the track. Despite starting in 27th, Elliott finished the race 38th, but learned a little bit on what it’s like racing at a track that the Xfinity Series doesn’t visit.
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His second race came at Richmond. Elliott had his best Sprint Cup finish of the season when he got to the checkered flag in 16th. Near the end of the race, he was in the top 10th but ended up falling back late due to a bad re-start. His car and pit crew had a very solid afternoon and there was plenty to smile about for him and his team afterwards.
Elliott did compete in the Sprint Showdown in an attempt to make the All-Star race. Though he ultimately fell short, the Showdown gave him some more practice with Sprint Cup drivers. His third race was no easy task: The Coca-Cola 600. Luckily, his practice earlier in the Sprint Showdown had helped him get used to the track because he had another solid day and finished in 18th. This was arguably the most important race he participated in this season since most drivers think of the 600 as NASCAR’s toughest test due to the grueling length of the race.
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His fourth race was another big one. Elliott raced in the Brickyard 400 and had a very good day. Even though he finished in 18th place again, he was in the top 10 for a little while and stayed in the top 20 most of the day. NASCAR tested their new high-drag aerodynamic package for the race and it was ultimately a failure because of the huge spoiler and the fact that it still didn’t generate many lead changes.
Elliott’s last Sprint Cup race of 2015 came near the end of the regular season when he was in a throwback #25 car at Darlington. The car still had the NAPA logo on it but the design was like that of his dad, Bill Elliott’s car back in the 1980’s. Elliott was involved in a wreck just a few laps into the race. Though he rebounded and got back in the top 20, he was involved in another wreck later on and that led to a finish in 41st.
His season in the Xfinity Series has not been as spectacular as last season, but with a win in Richmond, he was able to close the gap between himself and first place driver Chris Buescher. Elliott is looking to defend his title in his last season racing full-time in the Xfinity Series. He has said that he will come back for a few Xfinity races next year.
Elliott will have his hands full next season. By then, he will be 20 years old and the youngest driver in the Sprint Cup Series. The good news for him is that he will be surrounded by some of the best in the sport (Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne) at Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff Gordon has also said that he will help Elliott out at times next season.
Besides being around some great drivers, Elliott is going to enter NASCAR’s biggest stage with plenty of help by his side. He has the talent, he has the knowledge and he has the potential. It all depends on how he responds to such great expectations.