"You are pinning hopes on the past": Kyle Petty calls out Chase Elliott for underdelivering as NASCAR’s fan favorite

Chase Elliott might be fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, but he remains winless in 2025. And that did not sit well with longtime analyst Kyle Petty. On the latest episode of Kiss My A**phalt, Petty addressed his concerns about Elliott's inability to capitalize despite a strong car, track record, and a highly loyal fan base.

Petty didn't hold back, challenging whether NASCAR's most popular driver still has the elite gear to contend, or if he's riding on legacy expectations. Through 17 races this season, Elliott has strung together top-20 finishes in every event and now owns the best average finish in the field (10.8).

Petty questioned whether Elliott’s reputation as the "road course king" still holds:

"Is this as good as it gets? Have we already seen the best of Chase Elliott? I know the road courses are coming up, and he is the road course king. But wait a minute, he's not won a road course since 2021. So, you guys are pinning your hopes on the past. Listen, Richard Petty won a bunch of road courses too, but he's not going to win one this year, I can tell you that right now."

Chase Elliott has seven career road course wins, but it hasn't translated into victories since 2021. And with street and road circuits like Chicago, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen all lined up in the next month, the pressure is building.

Petty pointed out that the Cup Series thrives on wins, not reputation. Hendrick Motorsports has given Elliott top-tier equipment, the same cars that have helped Kyle Larson get three wins, and William Byron is on top of the leaderboard. Even Bowman has shown flashes, leading 125 laps in contrast to Elliott's 95 laps in 17 races this season.

Hendrick Motorsports drivers Kyle Larson (5), Alex Bowman (48), and Chase Elliott (9) at Talladega Superspeedway. Source: Imagn

Petty pointed to internal competition as a motivator, drawing parallels to Chase Briscoe at Joe Gibbs Racing:

"Now remember (Denny) Hamlin had already won three times and (Christopher) Bell had already won three times. That internal competition makes you better, and it made Chase Briscoe better. So what's going on with Chase Elliott? I mean, if we say internal competition—Larson's won three, Byron's won one, dominated Darlington, was strong at Nashville. Is Chase stepping up? Since 2023, Chase Elliott has won only one race... How can our most popular driver not win races?"

Despite winning the fan-voted Most Popular Driver award for seven consecutive seasons, Elliott hasn't reached victory lane since 2023. And more importantly, he hasn't looked particularly close. Since winning the championship in 2020, his season trajectories have leaned more on consistency than dominance.

Kyle Petty points to a tale of two Chases: Chase Elliott and Chase Briscoe

(L-R) Chase Elliott, AJ Allmendinger, and Chase Briscoe before the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma. Source: Getty

Chase Elliott delivered a strong result in The Great American Gateway at Pocono, a fifth-place finish after starting 18th and working through handling struggles in practice. He earned stage points in all three stages (3 in Stage 1, 8 in Stage 2), logging his ninth top-10 of the year and his first stretch of consecutive top fives since last fall.

Meanwhile, Chase Briscoe faced similar pressure at Joe Gibbs Racing after Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell qualified for the playoffs. That urgency pushed him to a calculated, fuel-saving victory at Pocono, locking himself into the postseason. Petty didn't mince words about the contrast:

"We have one ascending Chase—Chase Briscoe—and we have one Chase that's just kind of here. And is that good enough? Is that good enough for what our expectations are? For the fans' expectations? For the Hendrick organization? For the sponsors? If it is, more power to you. But in a sport where we reward wins and championships, we need somebody to step up. Chase has got to step up."

Elliott remains steady in fifth place with 543 points. And with 11 race winners already, only five spots remain open for the 2025 Playoffs. Elliott may be +160 above the cutline, but every new winner narrows that window.

Elliott heads to his home track in Atlanta, a place where he won in 2022, followed by two road courses. But unless that speed translates to trophies, Petty's message will only ring louder.