Chase Elliott ended the 2022 season with a 28th-place finish at Phoenix Raceway after making the Championship 4 due to a bad block on Ross Chastain. Elliott, 27, had a miserable playoff run that only featured three top-10 finishes.
Now, the driver of the No. 9 car will look to redeem himself during the 2023 NASCAR season. Find out the official predictions for Elliott’s year below.
Chase Elliott wins three races during NASCAR regular season
Elliott will be one of three drivers to win three races during the NASCAR regular season. This comes after he won the regular season championship with four victories in 2022.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver will win at Martinsville Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, and Watkins Glen International. Elliott’s dominance at Martinsville finally translates into another victory while his road course expertise is back after not winning a single one last year.
Despite another successful regular season, Elliott comes short of winning the regular season championship with a second-place finish. It still gives him 10 playoff points for a final tally of 30 points which includes stage wins.
Elliott has waited the entire season to reach this point once again. After a poor showing last year, there is much to prove as he chases his second NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Related: Chase Elliott is officially the championship favorite for the 2023 season
Chase Elliott makes the Championship 4 for a fourth straight year
Elliott has made the Championship 4 over the last three seasons and that will continue going into 2023. In fact, the prediction is that he will not have many scares during the overall playoff run.
The 27-year-old driver will cruise through the Round of 16 and even claim a victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. It will mark his fourth victory of the 2023 season and lock him into the Round of 12.
Speaking of the next round, Elliott will be the highest driver to advance without needing a victory. The Round of 12 ends up being a really good three-race stretch which includes satisfactory tracks for him.
The Round of 8 is the trickiest one yet. Elliott does not win a race during this round; however, it resembles the previous round. The Atlanta native is the highest-finishing driver without securing a victory and makes the Championship 4.
In fact, Elliott is the only driver to make the Championship 4 on points alone. This does not mean he is relegated to an underdog status but it certainly creates an intriguing championship picture.
However, the big question with Elliott remains in place. Is this the year he becomes the 18th NASCAR driver to win at least two Cup Series championships?
Related: Chase Elliott loses notable sponsor ahead of the 2023 season
Final prediction on Chase Elliott’s overall season
For the fourth straight year, Elliott has competed in 35 races to reach this point. The Championship 4 is a one-race shootout to determine who is crowned the NASCAR Cup Series champion.
Unfortunately for Elliott, he will not become the 2023 Cup Series champion. He will end up finishing third in the point standings and put in a valiant effort but it won’t be enough to land another title.
At the end of the season, the Hendrick Motorsports driver will have four victories after winning five times last year. Overall, it is a successful season as that marks nine wins in the last two years.
Elliott will win another Cup Series championship in the future. When a driver makes the Championship 4 this many times, it is bound to go their way at least once. After all, the opportunity to become a champion sits at 25% due to a four-car battle.
In the meantime, Elliott and his fans will be pleased to know that another successful season is ahead with even more on the horizon.