What do Chase Elliott's helmet stars at the Martinsville Cup race signify? Understanding their meaning

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott will be sporting a special star-spangled helmet in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

Ever since his snowboarding accident and the subsequent injury, 2020 NASCAR Cup champion Chase Elliott has been a shadow of his former self. Following his return after missing out on six races, the six-time NASCAR's Most Popular Driver has struggled to find his groove.

Elliott failed to qualify for the Cup Series playoffs last season, the first time since his Cup debut. It has been over a year since Elliott last won a race, further amplifying his challenging period. His 2024 campaign is yet to show promise, as the HMS driver has struggled with consistency.

However, following an impressive Richmond Cup race where he finished fifth, his first top-5 finish of the season, Chase Elliott will aim to capitalise on his momentum as he seeks to bring an end to his win drought. Set to start in third position in the Cook Out 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, Elliott will don a special red helmet adorned with stars that signify each of Hendrick Motorsports' NASCAR wins.

A close-up of Chase Elliott's special helmet for Martinsville

The helmet also features numerous golden stars, which symbolise the championships clinched by NASCAR's winningest team. It remains to be seen whether the star-spangled helmet will help the stars align for Elliott to finally secure his first NASCAR victory since 2022.

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Chase Elliott reflects on first Martinsville victory ahead of Cup race

Reflecting on his 2020 Cup Series playoff race in Martinsville, a must-win affair, Elliott told Frontstretch ahead of the upcoming race:

"Other than just the race being my first one and the things that were special around that. The race itself was terrible. So, I, you know, it was such a special weekend. I just remember being here and trying to make the race and the rain was an issue."

Despite the setbacks and the race being marked by challenges and missed opportunities, the significance of his victory remains paramount for Chase Elliott, who went on to win his first and only Cup Series championship later that year. He added:

"We didn’t think we were going to get to qualify. And that was going to put us in a position where we were going to miss the show and ran out of here just in time. Got track dried off and was able to qualify and run. So yeah, special place for that, and uh, wish the race had gone better."

After seven races, Chase Elliott has two top-10 finishes to his name, adding up to a total of 209 points. He finds himself eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with an average finish of 12.714.