Elliott Hoping To Ride Momentum To A Daytona 500 Win

Chase Elliott (HHP/Tom Copeland)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When something rolls your way in life, it’s best to attempt to build upon it, especially when seeking to capture something great.

Hendrick Motorsports’s Chase Elliott looks to use the momentum from his Cook Out Clash win at North Carolina’s Bowman Gray Stadium two weeks ago to carry him to a Harley J. Earl Trophy Sunday.

Although he’ll line up 17th on the grid for the Daytona 500, after an eighth-place finish in the first of two Duel qualifying races Thursday night, the 29-year-old believes early season momentum can lead him to his first victory in the 67th running of the Great American Race.

“It was great. And really not just the Bowman Gray win, but the end of last year was also really encouraging for us. I thought we ended on a really good note,” said Elliott during Daytona 500 Media Day earlier this week. “We were just a little late to the party for championship contention, you know? We started to run better and led some laps at the end of last year.”

“To be able to build on those things, to come out and perform the way we did at Bowman Gray was encouraging. Yes, the race went well, but all of that started over the off-season, and the things we were focused on trying to make sure we executed properly,” Elliott added. “It was a nice boost for us. I don’t think it’s one of those things where it will make your year or even break your year if the Clash doesn't go well, but it’s certainly nice to know that the things we’ve been zoned in on and pushing [for] were also a reality at Bowman Gray, too.”

In his decade-long Cup Series career at the central Florida track, Elliott has experienced a mix of ups and downs. Since 2015 he’s had an average finish of 21.3, the lowest ranking amongst tracks he’s run at in his nine full-time NASCAR Cup Series seasons.

Despite that, he has three top fives and 172 laps led in 18 regular season starts., including a runner-up finish in the 2021 Daytona 500.

On Sunday he will race in his 10th Daytona 500, and Elliott’s aspirations of winning NASCAR's most prestigious race still remain high, despite the fact he’s only won two Duel races on the 2.5-mile oval in 2017 and 2018.

“It means a great opportunity to cement your name into the history books of the sport; that’s kind of how I look at it. This race has always been, in my view, its own event,” said Elliott of the Great American Race. “I understand it’s part of the season, the winner gets locked in or kind of locked-in (to the playoffs) … however you all want to say it, but more importantly it’s an opportunity to put your name on that big Harley J. Earl Trophy. To finish your career and say you’ve won the Daytona 500, that’s what it is.

“It’s an opportunity to do that, which is a really big deal.”

With an already fruitful Cup Series resume before the age of 30, including his 2020 championship and 19 career wins, one notable absence from the Dawsonville, Ga., native’s accolades are several crown jewel victories, including the Daytona and Southern 500s, as well as the Brickyard 400.

But with mid-February coming back around once again, Elliott reflected on his racing journey as he turns 30 years old in November and said the wins he does or doesn’t have don’t define his career thus far.

“It’s just honestly crazy that it’s been that long, to be honest. It’s just gone by so fast,” said Elliott. “Every year has felt so different to me. I think people look at careers and they think of just this one big storybook, with every year being a different chapter. To me, it’s almost like every year is its own book.”

Elliott was just 20 years old during his rookie season in the Cup Series. A lot has happened since that time.

“Now I’m almost 30 and just like – for everyone that is almost 30 years old or older than 30, how much did your life change from 20 to 30? How much different did you look at things from 20 to 30? That’s just a huge chunk of your life that just makes things feel different,” he added.

With the green flag looming Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET, things are different to start 2025. Elliott is no longer a teenager or a guy in his mid-twenties anymore, he’s a driver soon to enter his 30s later this year.

Because of that, a different perspective and a pre-season win at the inaugural Bowman Gray event may just propel Elliott to victory lane, champagne, confetti, a ring and the title of Daytona 500 champ under the evening floodlights.

“Every year has its own story and its own feel. I’ve enjoyed that ride. Some of its been really good, some of it’s not been so good,” Elliott said. “But there’s a lot of experiences in all of that that I think can help shape you and mold you to be better, and the only thing you can control is today moving forward.”