Elliott still searching for 1st win of season
Active leader in road course wins enters as favorite
Perhaps it is at last Chase Elliott’s turn to take a Hendrick Motorsports car to victory lane, where his three teammates have all visited over the past month.
The blazing start for the Hendrick stable has stretched to three wins over four races — Kyle Larson won at Fontana, Alex Bowman at Las Vegas and William Byron at Atlanta — and only Elliott is still seeking his first win of the season. He’s got a good shot Sunday in NASCAR’s second trip to the Circuit of the Americas permanent road course, where Elliott is the defending race winner.
Elliott’s victory last year came in torrential rains that shortened the event by 14 laps. It was no surprise to see the 2020 Cup Series champion pick up the road course win; he leads all active drivers with seven career victories on road courses. The challenge is understanding NASCAR’s new Next Gen car, which debuted in January and has been spectacular in improving the racing. The season has opened with five different winners through five races as the entire garage — except maybe the Hendrick teams — figures out the new car. Austin is the first of six road courses on this year’s Cup Series schedule.
“I think it’s really more questions than answers,” Elliott said. “To me, COTA is going to be that first opportunity for all the drivers to really kind of get in tune with this car on a road course.”
When he did get to turn laps in the Next Gen on the hybrid road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway,
the new car reminded him of the IMSA GT cars Elliott has competed against when he dabbles in sports car racing. Elliott, who is the Cup points leader despite being winless, said the Next Gen should make
for a good race.
Xfinity: AJ Allmendinger and Kaulig Racing scored their first victory of the season. Allmendinger was scheduled to start 20th on Sunday in the Cup race, also in a Chevrolet for Kaulig. Austin Hill finished second and Cole Custer finished third. Trucks: Zane Smith inherited the Truck Series win at Circuit of the Americas when a three-wide move for the lead went awry and Smith sailed past his rivals for the victory in double overtime. Formula One: Sergio Perez took his first career pole position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.