2022 Season in Review: Chase Elliott
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CREW CHIEF: Alan Gustafson
TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports
POINTS: Fourth in Cup Series
WINS: Five (Dover, Nashville, Atlanta II, Pocono, Talladega II)
LAPS LED: 857
TOP 5s: 12
TOP 10s: 20
QUALIFIED FIRST: Three times (Martinsville I, Road America, Watkins Glen)
MORE: Silly Season: Drivers, cars, numbers
WHAT WENT RIGHT: Elliott’s five wins were scattered across the season. He led 73 laps to win the 11th race of the year at Dover and scored again at Nashville, a track Hendrick Motorsports has dominated. He won two races later at Atlanta and then drove sideways into a victory at Pocono when Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, who finished one-two, were disqualified. Elliott’s last win came in the playoffs at Talladega as he scored on a last-lap pass.
Elliott led 857 laps, No. 1 on that list, and he was atop the points for most of the season, winning the regular season championship.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Elliott opened the playoffs with a crash and an ugly last-place finish at Darlington, but managed to reach the Championship Four with the Talladega win and a 10th at Martinsville.
That 10th-place run at Martinsville was his best run in the final five races of the season.
He struggled in the Phoenix finale, finishing 28th and fourth among the championship contenders, spoiling what had been a very successful year.
Elliott was among the group of drivers who had issues with Ross Chastain during the season, and he also was pushed aside by Hendrick teammate Kyle Larson in a race for the win at Watkins Glen.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2023: Although Elliott didn’t win the championship that appeared to be his for much of the year, his season was one many drivers would accept without argument. He’ll likely be in the Championship Four again in 2023.
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2022 Season in Review: Chase Elliott originally appeared on NBCSports.com
