Elliott Returns to Victory Lane!

Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400:

Chase Elliott captured the checkered flag on Sunday snapping his 42-race winless streak. The win essentially locks Chase into the 2024 playoffs, was his first win (and top 5) on a 1.5-mile track in the NextGen era, and righted all the wrongs in the NASCAR world. The most popular driving back in victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday was all the talk on social media Sunday evening with some claiming this race (and a Chase win) may save Texas from a reconfiguration. (This Chase Elliott fan would not go that far albeit I was incredibly happy with his victory). This victory could also be the boost of confidence Elliott and the 9-team need to prove themselves championship contenders. Elliott and his Hendrick team have run well this year but not been at the level of flash and speed as teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron. Now, having this win after several solid finishes, could make the 9 car dangerous as they will not have more leeway to go for playoff points in the form of stage wins and race wins.

The race as a whole was entertaining; not great racing, but entertaining nonetheless. It was, once strung out, a standard 1.5-mile race for this new generation car. More compelling than short tracks and road courses since drivers can move around to multiple lanes to find clean air. However, more of the same with aero blocking and nearly impossible passing. The implementation of pit strategy and aggressive driving on restarts did make the race compelling and entertaining. And because of this, and the teams and drivers knowing this, the race was all-in-all a solid race. I still believe that there are improvements to be had with this car (please at least try a lot more horsepower) and maybe Goodyear being more aggressive with tire fall off could help. Either way, the driver aggression and pit strategy was the saving grace for this race. Every restart was intense as drivers jockeyed for position because of how difficult it would be to pass once the cars started to string out around the track. This fan, for one, appreciated the drivers stepping up and being aggressive. I know they're doing it out of selfish ambition of gaining track position to set themselves up for the race win, but this did bring the entertainment value and good race vibes up for the fanbase. Chalk that up with a Chase Elliott victory and it was a good day for NASCAR.

Now we shift our eyes forward to the ultimate wild card: Talladega Superspeedway. I am a big fan of Talladega and look forward to pack racing around the 2.66-mile track on Sunday. Let's hope there's more intensity and racing than the side-by-side fuel strategy we had at Daytona. Tune in Sunday to FOX at 3 p.m. EST for what should be an exciting showdown on the Alabama high banks!

Talladega Picks: Cup: Bubba Wallace

Xfinity: Jeb Burton

Truck: Off week

Header Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images