There’s something not quite right, and Chase Elliott knows it. Since his 2020 Cup Series triumph, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has struggled to sustain himself in the three-round, elimination-style playoffs. But with the potential format revamp coming soon, many believe this might be the end of the Elliott’s misery.

A recent episode of PRN Live witnessed a discussion of Chase Elliott’s 2026 chances. According to Brad Gillie, rumors of a four-race championship model may be ideal for the Hendrick Motorsports star. “I feel like the longer the sample size in the championship run in the playoffs, the more favorable it becomes to Chase Elliott,” he said. Although no definitive announcement is out yet, the sport could move away from the one-race format. Across 2025, Elliott was the epitome of consistency, fetching two wins, 11 top-5 finishes, 19 top-10 finishes, 454 laps led, and a 12.6 average finishing position.

And if the 2020 Cup Series champion can continue this streak into 2026, there’s no stopping him.

“Their talent is in consistency,” Gillie noted. “Yes, they can go up there and win races. But he’s not had a season like he’s had since his championship year in 2020; a handful of things have happened along the way. But I really feel like their strength is not going to be in winning one race for a title, but being the best over four, or over ten. So, depending on what the format is, I feel it depends on how much it will favor Chase Elliott in a second championship.”

In the Round of 8 in the 2025 playoffs, Chase Elliott projected a very good possibility. Despite holding a 23-point deficit after Las Vegas, his stellar Talladega history was heartening. He owned two trophies at the Alabama oval and nearly averaged a top-10 finish across the last seven there (10.85). However, the track where his chances seemed the best turned out to be the cause of missing the 2025 title. He crashed out in a Stage 1 melee, and that axed his points position. No wonder Elliott has been an open advocate of a new championship format.

“We’ve had a really good and competitive battle to the regular season (championship) over,” the driver told Jeff Gluck in July this year. “Correct me if I’m wrong — the last two or three years, it’s really been pretty tight all the way down to Daytona.

“If you just take that as your sample set over the first 26 weeks, it looks pretty solid to me. The system would be just fine if you just had a full season. And if somebody runs away with it, so what? Let’s celebrate the fact that somebody ran away with it, that somebody was just that good.

“Motorsports does not have to be like everybody else to be successful. And I’ll stand by that til I get done.”

Nevertheless, there is always a chance to renew one’s chances. And Chase Elliott will have it in 2026, when HMS will present a new Chevrolet body to the driver. While Elliott prepares diligently for another season, he feels grateful for the sport’s most important asset.

Giving back to the public

Shortly after the 2025 Cup Series championship finale, Chase Elliott won an honor for the 8th year in a row. He was voted the season’s Most Popular Driver yet again, and the luster of his racecraft, whether with a title or not, glittered brightly. Elliott went through many hurdles in recent years, ranging from his snowboarding accident in 2023 to missing the playoffs in the same year. Despite these challenges, the fans of the sport hailed him and continued to support his ambitions. Hence, Elliott saluted all those people in a SiriusXM NASCAR appearance last week.

Chase Elliott highlighted the moments that stand out for him at every NASCAR event. “It’s those interactions we have at the track, whether it’s me or somebody else, I don’t even care about that, it’s more just having the ability to make or break somebody’s day sometimes,” Elliott said. “It can be a lot to carry, but I do think there’s a responsibility in some of those things, and at least doing your best. And we are competitors and we are humans and there’s times I definitely want time alone, but I definitely think there’s times we have to go enjoy those moments and help make somebody’s day better if you have that ability to do so.”

 With the weight of the public’s support behind him, Chase Elliott has a solid chance for next season. Let’s wait and see how the Hendrick Motorsports driver will perform.