Chase Elliott is confident HMS has “enough time” to rebound after disastrous Darlington result

Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott recently sat down with stock car analyst Bob Pockrass after an unsatisfactory run in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. During the interview, Elliott expressed optimism about securing his spot in the next round.

Elliott faced a series of challenges since the qualifying session, and he began the race one spot behind the rookie driver Shane van Gisbergen. The HMS driver started the race from P21 with a best time of 29.23 seconds and a top speed of 168.26 mph. He was 0.53 seconds behind the pole-sitter and #11 Toyota Camry XSE driver Denny Hamlin.

Chase Elliott's struggles followed him during the main event. During the 367-lap race, the #9 Chevy Camaro ZL1 driver made repetitive contact with Spire Motorsports' Carson Hocevar. He also had an issue during the pit stop and went a lap down. The disastrous day ended with him coming in at P17. Despite all the struggles, the HMS driver has high hopes and told Bob Pockrass (via FoxSports.com):

"You’re talking about 10 races. A lot of racing. That's enough time to be really good for a stretch, to be really bad for a stretch, and then get really good again."

He added:

"And so I think sometimes it gets lost just how many races and how long 10 weeks is, and how much can change through that period of time. For me personally, it's what can I do this week to be better when we get to the racetrack on Saturday? And how can my Saturday help us on Sunday?"

After an unsatisfactory finish at the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on August 31, 2025, Chase Elliott is set to compete in the Enjoy Illinois 300. The 240-lap race is scheduled on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at World Wide Technology Raceway.

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"I'm doing my part": Chase Elliott got candid with Dale Earnhardt Jr. about his no-win stretch in the Cup Series

Earlier this year, Chase Elliott was featured on the Dale Jr. Download podcast on YouTube. During the podcast, the Hendrick Motorsports driver touched upon his winless drought and told former HMS driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. what mattered to him during the no-win stretch.

The 2020 Cup Series champion won the Texas Motor Speedway race in the early 2024 season, and since then, he has been on a no-win streak. But things changed for the driver during the second race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, ending his winless drought and securing a spot in the 2025 playoffs.

Reflecting on his winless drought during the 2024 season, Chase Elliott told Dale Jr.:

"Man, we've just been doing this long enough to know, like, it all kind of starts and ends with us. We have to make sure we're doing our part, and I'm doing my part and just bringing everything I can possibly bring every single week. It's the honest conversations that we have on Monday mornings that are either going to make us better or make us fail. All of the pieces of the puzzle are there. We're working on the right things. I think I'm asking for the right things out of the car. I'm really proud of our team for just sticking together."

Chase Elliott currently ranks 11th in the Cup Series points table after the disastrous Darlington result. He secured one win, seven top-five finishes, and 13 top-ten finishes in 27 starts this season. Additionally, Elliott has a nine-point buffer above the cutoff line.