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Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott has been the Cup Series points leader since the month of March. He is well on his way to the regular-season title, and he can clinch it at Richmond Raceway.
Elliott currently has 847 points after the first 23 races of the Cup Series season. He has a 119-point lead over Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, who currently holds the final playoff transfer spot. The regular-season title is still up in the air, but Elliott can clinch it with 58 points earned at Richmond Raceway.
Elliott has five races this season where he earned 50 or more points, so doing so once gain is possible. The second trip to Atlanta Motor Speedway was his best day points-wise considering that he started on the pole, swept the first two stages, and then he held off Ross Chastain and Corey LaJoie to win.
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Elliott Has Strong Performances at Richmond Raceway
GettyChase Elliott practices at Richmond Raceway.
The Georgia native is not one of the nine active Cup Series drivers with at least one win at Richmond Raceway, a list that includes two teammates in Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman. However, Elliott has previous strong performances at the short track.
Elliott has made 13 starts at Richmond Raceway during his Cup Series career, and he finished every single race. He also has five top-10 finishes and four top-fives, headlined by a runner-up behind Kyle Busch in 2018.
The most recent trip to Richmond Raceway was not the best statistically for Elliott and the No. 9 team. They qualified 15th and secured points during Stages 1 and 2. Though Elliott ultimately finished 14th after struggling to pass during the closing laps.
“In the spring, I really felt like we had a better car than where we finished,” Elliott said in a release from Chevrolet. “Strategy didn’t quite work in our favor, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do when we return this weekend. Passing is going to be tough again, so I really feel like qualifying and getting good track position is going to be important.”
Elliott Breaks Up a Toyota Party in the Latest Odds
The race at Richmond Raceway will provide Elliott with the opportunity to clinch the first regular-season title of his career, but he will have a difficult task achieving this goal. Though oddsmakers believe that he will be one of the best during the race.
According to DraftKings, Elliott enters the weekend with 9-1 odds to win. He is fifth overall and the first driver that isn’t a member of Toyota Racing. Christopher Bell also has 9-1 odds while Busch sits at 7-1. Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. both have the best odds at 6-1.
If Elliott can win at Richmond, he will become only the fifth Chevrolet driver since 2010 to win at the short track. Kevin Harvick won in 2011 for Richard Childress Racing, Kurt Busch won in 2015 for Stewart Haas Racing, Larson won in 2017 for Chip Ganassi Racing, and Bowman won in 2021 for Hendrick Motorsports.
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How Chase Elliott Can Clinch the Regular-Season Title at Richmond