Chase Elliott’s return to racing at Martinsville provides much needed relief to NASCAR

Chase Elliott's return to NASCAR was the major headline heading into the NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway. The return of the Cup Series' most popular driver prompted a great response from the fans, who were eagerly anticipating his comeback.

Chase Elliott returned to the track after a six-race hiatus, making his first appearance since the second race of the season at Auto Club Speedway on February 26. Elliott's comeback was marked by a huge spike in NASCAR viewership, as more fans tuned in to watch the #9 driver in action.

Sportsnaut journalist Austin Konenski shared the figures via his Twitter handle that show a dramatic increase in viewership compared to the previous year for the Martinsville race. While the first nine races of the season showed a drop in numbers compared to 2022, the race in Ridgeway, Virginia, was the standout with an increased audience.

Here are the stats for the first 10 races, including the pre-season Busch Light Clash:

• Martinsville (Up 17.7%)
• Bristol Dirt (Down 13.9%)
• Richmond (Down 41.8% - FOX), (Down 11.9% - first Sunday FS1 race)
• COTA (Down 16.1%)
• Atlanta (Down 14.5%)
• Phoenix: (Down 15.1%)
• Las Vegas: (Down 12.2%)
• Auto Club: (Down 5.6%)
• Daytona 500: (Down 7.7%)
• Clash: (Down 14.8%)

While the first two races of the season where Elliott raced also saw a drop in viewership, his month-long absence led to a build-up of anticipation for his return. When the 27-year-old finally announced that he would make his return in Martinsville, a larger audience tuned in to watch Elliott's comeback.

The 2020 Cup Series champion and five-time NASCAR's Most Popular Driver award winner has demonstrated that he is the star of the grid.

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How did Chase Elliott fare in the NOCO 400?

Chase Elliott was expected to have a tough weekend on the half-mile paper clip oval, which makes huge demands on the drivers in terms of braking. However, the 27-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver weathered the 400-lap race on Sunday without any difficulties.

NASCAR Cup Series NOCO 400 - Practice

Starting the race in 24th position, Elliott had his work cut for the race to grab a decent result. The #9 driver stunned everyone with a top-10 result at the end of a grueling race in Virginia. After the race, he came out of his car and sat by his #9 Chevrolet for several minutes as the other drivers congratulated him.

Speaking about his condition after the race, he said:

"My leg's stiff, My knee's stiff. But I don't hurt or anything like that. I'm about where I thought it would be."

Elliott added about his race:

"I feel pretty good — just about what I expected, so that was a good thing. Definitely a tough, tough race probably more because I've been sitting on the couch for six weeks, more so than my leg."

Chase Elliott's season will now begin in earnest as he will hope to build on the momentum from the NOCO 400.