"I would have never believed you": Chase Elliott on how racing at Martinsville Speedway has evolved courtesy of NASCAR's Next-Gen car

Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott recently spoke about how Martinsville Speedway, one of the foundations of the sport in terms of stock car racing on short tracks, has evolved over the years.

Ever since the inception of the seventh generation Cup Series car, several drivers have spoken about how short track racing has deteriorated as a spectacle, with the biggest hit coming at 'The Paperclip'

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott was one of the recent figures in the sport to speak about how dirty air from the Next Gen Cup cars makes overtaking at tracks such as Martinsville Speedway difficult for drivers.

The #9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver elaborated on where the emphasis lies on performing well at the track. Elliot told speedwaymedia.com:

"Martinsville Speedway has always been a challenging place, but it’s become even more challenging with this new car. The reason for that is just that track position has become so crucial at those events. So, it puts a lot of emphasis on qualifying and a lot of emphasis on your pit stops."

He added:

"That’s the case every week, but it seems like Martinsville has become probably the most track position-oriented event of the year. If you told me that five or six years ago, I would have never believed you."

Chase Elliott is currently on the verge of recovering from his recent dip in performance ever since his snowboarding accident last year. It remains to be seen how the Dawsonville, Georgia native performs at Martinsville coming off a top 5 finish last weekend at Richmond Raceway.

---

What are Chase Elliott's odds of winning the 2024 Cook Out 400?

Chase Elliott heads into this weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race with favorable odds as the #9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver rounds off the top list on the driver's odds table. According to CBS Sports, Elliott stands a chance of 16-1 of winning at 'The Paperclip'.

Preceded by drivers such as Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. alongside defending Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron also sport better odds than Elliott's to win the upcoming 400-lap-long event.

With Hendrick Motorsports also celebrating their 40th anniversary at the venue, all four drivers from the team's camp are expected to be under added pressure during the weekend. It remains to be seen how Elliott does as the event goes live on Sunday, April 7, 2024, at 3:00 pm ET.