NASCAR: Breaking Down Hendrick Motorsports’ Struggles

The No. 24 Team

Fans of the No. 24 car had an odd start to the season, as their longtime favorite–Jeff Gordon–was in the broadcast booth instead of the driver’s seat.

But instead, they got Chase Elliott, who came into the season with tons of potential and big footsteps to fill. Despite a slow start, Elliott began to get hot and finished with ten top-10’s in 12 races from Phoenix all the way to Michigan.

Along the way, he competed for wins at Bristol and Dover and led at least 35 laps at both Pocono and Michigan. Since then, it’s been tough for the rookie. He’s finished no higher than 13th since Michigan and has finished below 30th on four different occasions.

After Michigan, Elliott was over 100 points above the cut line, but since then, he’s lost a lot of his ground and he’s now just 41 points above Kyle Larson, who sits in the 16th position in the driver standings.

Regardless, Elliott has shown signs of life with a top-15 at Indy and Watkins Glen and could end up being the only HMS driver–besides Jimmie Johnson–to make the Chase.

Next: An Uncharacteristic Run