Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson from Hendrick Motorsports are leading the charge to win the regular-season championship. Despite Larson’s several wins, Elliott leads the points standings.
Now, winning the regular season championship has numerous advantages. The most significant of these is the 15 bonus playoff points, thus while the two drivers are partners, they may turn on each other during the race. To be honest, NASCAR racing has always been like this. According to Jeff Gordon, there is no actual animosity or rivalry between Elliott and Larson. Rather, he believes that their drivers have worked together greater than ever this season.
Hendrick Motorsports does not mind a competitive edge among their drivers.
The only time HMS drivers raced for a last-lap win was at the Daytona 500. That day, William Byron eked out a victory over his teammate Alex Bowman. However, as the knockout rounds approach, the dynamics of racing may shift, and drivers may begin to watch out for themselves.
With Chase Elliott in the lead and Larson trailing by three points, the regular-season title chase is nearly over. While outsiders may perceive a budding competition between the two, Gordon believes this is not the case.
Before the Brickyard 400 race, HMS’s vice chairman discussed the dynamics of the team’s drivers. “This year, I have seen our teams communicate, share knowledge, and collaborate more than ever before. To me, it appears that all of the teams are succeeding and reaping the benefits of the quantity of communication that is flowing back and forth.”
However, he stated that they do not expect the drivers to restrain back if they find themselves contending for a victory on the racetrack. “At Hendrick, we expect teams and drivers to compete against one another. We want to race aggressively, but we want to come out in one piece, and may the greatest team and driver win the regular season championship,” Gordon said.
It should be remembered that the HMS driver is not the only one in contention for the regular season championship. With all of the hoopla about the HMS stars, this might allow someone from the Toyota camp to sneak a great result for them, earning the all-important 15 bonus points.
So far in the 2024 season, the 23XI Racing driver has not led the standings. But with five races remaining in the regular season, he may grab the title for himself. The No. 45 Toyota is now third in the standings, 15 points behind the leader Chase Elliott. After winning a single race at Talladega, Reddick discovered extra gear and now competes for wins every week.
If we eliminate his Iowa results, he has four top five and three top ten finishes in the last eight events. And, plainly, he is giving the JGR Toyotas a fight for their money, given that 23XI Racing relies on them in a technical partnership. He has also achieved pole position for the oval race at Brickyard, allowing him to surpass the new points leaders.
So keep an eye on Tyler Reddick, as he could be the biggest surprise package of the 2024 season.
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