Jeff Gordon, vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, has issued a caution to the NASCAR Cup Series competitors, indicating that Chase Elliott is on the verge of a breakthrough in his 2025 performance. Elliott, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet, experienced a season filled with highs and lows but showed promising signs in the latter stages that suggest a potential return to championship form.
Analysis of Elliott’s 2025 Season Performance
Throughout the 2025 season, Elliott secured 19 top-10 finishes and 11 top-five finishes, mirroring his results from the previous year. While these statistics might seem steady, his late-season displays caught the attention of many at Hendrick Motorsports. Specifically, his effort during the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race stood out. Although he was eliminated earlier from contention, Elliott led 30 laps at Phoenix Raceway and finished in tenth place.
Gordon highlighted that despite Elliott’s exclusion from the final championship battle, his racing performance surpassed that of his teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson, who advanced further in the title run.
“When you put a race like that together, and you do that over enough races, it builds confidence,”
Gordon told ESPN’s Kelly Crandall.
“And when you have the final race of the season go like that, even though you’re not in the championship hunt, you build on that over the offseason.”
Comparing Recent Wins and Growth Potential
While Elliott’s three victories over the last two seasons fall short compared to his 18 wins between 2018 and 2022, there are important foundations for progress. His consistent top finishes and late-season momentum suggest that he is positioning himself well for a stronger campaign ahead. After qualifying for the Cup Series Playoffs for the ninth time in ten years, Elliott produced six top-10 results in the ten-race playoff series, including a key victory at Kansas Speedway during the Round of 12.
Although Elliott was eventually eliminated after finishing third in the Round of 8 at Martinsville Speedway, his form displayed steady improvement.
“I thought we were getting closer, for sure,”
Elliott reflected on his 2025 season.
“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. 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.”
A Shift in Mindset and Team Dynamics
As the season progressed, Gordon noticed a clear evolution in Elliott’s engagement and leadership within his team.
“More engaged, stepping in, elevating the team, the information he’s bringing and really feeling like this is home for him,”
Gordon remarked.
“I tell him all the time, ‘You’re a franchise guy. This team is your team.’
He and Alan [Gustafson] have a very powerful relationship. Alan is an incredibly talented guy, and I think sometimes it just takes getting all the right pieces in place at the right times. But I was very impressed with what they did last year. I think it was a new look and perspective of their commitment to one another, to what they need to do, the details of what it takes to push yourself, push the cars and what our competitors are doing.”
Implications for Elliott’s Upcoming Seasons
The consistent improvement and renewed focus within the Hendrick Motorsports camp signal that Chase Elliott is primed for a more competitive season moving forward. His ability to keep pace with, and often outperform, fellow top drivers like William Byron and Kyle Larson, combined with strengthened team chemistry, suggest Elliott is preparing for a resurgence in performance likely to impact the 2026 NASCAR schedule.
With Elliott’s persistence and Gordon’s confidence backing him, the NASCAR community can anticipate that Elliott’s reputation as a championship contender will be reinvigorated soon, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape of the Cup Series.
