Denny Hamlin hints NASCAR's rating surge extends beyond $12,000,000 star 'Chase Elliott Effect'

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin has weighed in on the potential NASCAR rating efflux without Chase Elliott's face value into the picture.

The Cup Series drivers recently got over with the fifth race on the 2024 NASCAR calendar at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Hamlin sealed his maiden win of the season, and Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott, who has a net worth of $12,000,000 (via Celebrity Net Worth) secured his season-best finish at P8.

Hamlin clinched his fourth victory on the 0.533-mile oval and now stands at P5 in the drivers' rankings, with one win, one top-5, and two top-10s in his arsenal. The JGR driver is now eyeing the upcoming EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, and ahead of his run, he has outlined a surge in NASCAR ratings lately.

Last year, Chase Elliott got into a snowboarding accident and fractured his left tibia. The mishap cost the 28-year-old six weeks' worth of racing, and according to Hamlin, the ratings of stock car racing witnessed a dip as the HMS driver couldn't mark his presence.

However, noticing a recent rise in the popularity of NASCAR, the 4x Bristol winner hinted at a possible surge of viewership in the future, irrespective of whether the 2020 Cup Series champion races or not. Hamlin shared his perspective on his 'Actions Detrimental' podcast:

"I think, generally speaking, we've got some good momentum with the ratings. Now we are starting to get into where you also have to have an asterisk is that we're getting into the non-Chase Elliott races from last year."

The 43-year-old added:

"The rating last year declined 10% on average when Chase was not in the race, so we should see a bump regardless of that."

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Chase Elliott weighs in on his "fun" outing at the Bristol Motor Speedway

The #9 Chevrolet driver's footing into the current Cup Series season didn't start on a dominant note. His best stat before his P8 finish at the 500-lap race was his P12 spot at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Furthermore, the dissatisfactory outcome of the newly devised short-track package for Phoenix resulted in the season-worst finish of P19 despite commencing his dash from P3 on the grid.

However, the tables turned for Elliott during his Bristol stint when he clocked the fifth-fastest qualifying speed at 122.882 mph and started his run ahead of the majority of the pack. A satisfactory outcome was slipping from his grasp when Elliott found himself running at P18 with only 94 laps left until the checkered flag dropped.

Nevertheless, the Georgian boy gained momentum and gained 10 track positions, collecting his best finish of the season. Chase Elliott seemingly enjoyed the race, as is evident from his postrace talk with motorsports journalist Dustin Long (via X):

"It was a lot of fun. I think there's probably a little better balance somewhere there, but I had a good time."