Chase Elliott’s crew chief drops straightforward verdict on #9 HMS’ ambitions

Chase Elliott's name may be on the low for falling short of at least challenging for race wins, but he has been consistent this year. His #9 Hendrick Motorsports crew chief, Alan Gustafson, said they are happy with the race results, though the team strives for victory lane.

After 10 NASCAR Cup Series races, Chase Elliott, 29, has amassed three top-5s and six top-10s, enough to rank a respectable fourth in the points standings. However, the Dawsonville, Georgia native hasn't won yet. His best finish (fourth place) came at Circuit of the Americas and Martinsville Speedway.

In an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Gustafson expressed satisfaction with what the 19-time Cup race winner accomplished so far this year.

"We've had some really good performances, had some pace in the car, and we've got tracks that we're just kind of okay at," Gustafson said. "Happy with the consistency, happy with the points we scored."

While Gustafson, the same crew chief Elliott won the 2020 Cup Series championship with, is happy with the performance, he wants to see the #9 Chevrolet Camaro in victory lane, saying:

"Certainly, you want to win some races. We had a couple of cars that I think we could've won with, and didn't close the deal. Those are the ones that really stand out and you want to focus on improving."

"It's a long marathon this season. I think that... certainly, started out pretty good and just looking to improve as always," he concluded.

Chase Elliott is the only top-five driver in the 2025 standings without a race win. His HMS teammate William Byron leads with one victory, followed by Kyle Larson (second) with two. Denny Hamlin (third) has won twice, while Christopher Bell (fifth) has had a three-peat, a first in the Next-Gen car era.

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Hendrick Motorsports shows off Chase Elliott's special paint scheme for Texas

Chase Elliott will run with a special NAPA Auto Parts paint scheme at Texas Motor Speedway. The #9 Chevrolet Camaro will drive around the 1.5-mile Fort Worth track with a 100th-anniversary livery sporting a gold base and a "1925-2025" decal.

Hendrick Motorsports previewed the paint scheme on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:

"Lookin’ good for @NAPARacing’s 100th."

NAPA started sponsoring Chase Elliott in 2014, the same year the Chevy pilot won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports. The auto parts company is one of the driver's primary sponsors, along with Prime Video and UniFirst.

Elliott will enter the Texas Motor Speedway as the defending track winner. He won the 2024 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400, his last victory in the Cup Series. The win broke a 42-race winless streak following a disappointing 2023 season, when he missed multiple races due to injury and a suspension.

Chase Elliott won the 2024 AutoTrader EchoPark 400 at Texas Motor Speedway - Source: Imagn

The Würth 400 at TMS will kick off on May 4 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Fans can catch the 267-lap race on FS1, with PRN and SiriusXM providing radio coverage.