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NASCAR: Hendrick Motorsports Season Recap

By Cole Mentzel

May 21, 2016; Concord, NC, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) and driver Chase Elliott (24) race down the front stretch during the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
May 21, 2016; Concord, NC, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) and driver Chase Elliott (24) race down the front stretch during the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 19, 2016; Bristol, TN, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (24) during practice for the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 19, 2016; Bristol, TN, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (24) during practice for the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /

The No. 24 Team

Driver: Chase Elliott

Crew chief: Alan Gustafson

2016 stats:

  • Wins: 0
  • Top-5’s: 10
  • Top-10’s: 17
  • Laps Led: 358
  • Average Finish: 14.6
  • Poles: 2

Chase Elliott came into the season with a lot to live up to. After two full seasons in the Xfinity Series–including a championship in 2014–Elliott was named the replacement for Jeff Gordon in the No. 24 car.

He started off the season by winning the pole in for the Daytona 500 before being involved in a wreck early on. Elliott didn’t look like a rookie early in the season. He opened the year with 11 top-10’s in 15 races and he competed for wins at Talladega, Pocono and Michigan. Then, just like the other HMS drivers, Elliott went through a rough stretch.

He failed to place in the top-10 in eight straight races ranging from Sonoma to Bristol, then he rebounded with another second-place finish at Michigan. He was leading late in the race before a caution came out that opened the door for Kyle Larson.

Elliott qualified for the Chase and looked like an instant contender. He led 75 laps and Charlotte and was four laps away from winning the race and beating Martin Truex Jr. when the caution came out, again leading to another missed opportunity.

He advanced to the Round of 12 and started the round off hot, leading a season-high 103 laps at Charlotte, but a wreck ended his great day and put him in an early hole. The next weekend, Elliott had another fast car and got out front for four laps before suffering from a tire problem, leading to two straight finishes below 30th.

Elliott finished 12th in a must-win situation at Talladega and was eliminated from the Chase. He put together another strong run at Texas late in the season and finished the year in 10th in the standings.

Elliott ended being named the Sunoco Rookie of the Year. Though he never recored a win in his rookie campaign, he had a lot of close calls and looked like a contender in many races this season. It didn’t matter if it was the regular season or the Chase, he was still competing at a high level.

If there’s one track to keep an eye on in the future, it’s Michigan, as he finished second there twice in 2016.

Elliott acted similarly to his dad behind the wheel. He was calm, cool and collected all year long. One interesting thing to note was how hard Elliott was towards his performance at times. He came down hard of himself after a rough outing or a time when he made a mistake late.

His Xfinity career and his incredible rookie season were simply a sign of things to come. Chase Elliott is a superstar in the making.

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