Elliott on verge of first NASCAR Cup win

And why not? Patience paid off for the 21-year-old driver at Martinsville Speedway this past weekend. 

On Saturday, Elliott stalked Christopher Bell “before it was time to go” in the Camping World Truck Series race.

When Bell was ran into lapped traffic with 17 laps remaining in the race, Elliott took advantage of the opportunity, seized the lead and the win. The second-generation racer used the knowledge he gained in the truck race to earn a Stage win and his first top-five Monster Energy Cup finish at the half-mile track.

“I think it (NCWTS win) helped a little bit,” Elliott said. “We’ve got a little work to do, but it was much improved. We hopefully have a good direction and we can build on this for the fall. 

“This was an important race and we’d love to have a good run then.”

Until Sunday, Eliiott’s best result at Martinsville Speedway was 12th. HIs average finish: 23.3. By establishing a consistent rhythm, not overdriving his car or pushing the issue with the veterans ahead of him, Elliott was able to lead 20 laps and finish a career-best third on Sunday. 

“I was really proud of our improvements this weekend,” Elliott said. “I hope that it wasn't just a fluke deal and we didn't just get lucky today and run good.  

“I really hope that we've found something or I have found something at this track that will lend some more consistent finishes that are further towards the front.”

Baby steps. 

No, Elliott did not win in his rookie season, despite a phenomenal start. After winning the pole for the Daytona 500, Elliott went on to score six top fives and 11 top 10s in the first 15 races. He was the top Hendrick Motorsports driver in the standings from Michigan, where he scored a career-best second, through Kentucky Speedway — the midway point of the season. 

Despite a lull in results from late June to mid-August, Elliott finished second again at the August Michigan race, followed by a 10th-place finish in the Southern 500 at Darlington before qualifying for the Playoffs. Although Elliott was eliminated in the second round, following a crash at Charlotte (just his second DNF of his rookie season), he finished out the post-season with three top fives, four top 10s and 10th-place in the Cup standings.

Sure, Elliott has endured his share disappointments this season. Certainly, running out of gas in the closing laps of the Daytona 500 was a heartbreaker. But Elliott has posted top-five finishes in half the races this year. He’s also improved his average qualifying effort (7.7) by 3.8 spots and nearly cut his average finish (14.6) in half (7.8) in the first six races. Although it’s still early in the season, Elliott is currently second in the Cup standings. He trails Kyle Larson by just four points.

Given his short-track background and the history of the No. 24 team and Hendrick Motorsports at Martinsville Speedway, Elliott is expected to run well. On Sunday, however, Elliott resembled a seasoned veteran at NASCAR’s oldest track on the Cup circuit, not a sophomore racer making his fourth start.

“I hope it's a consistent trend, that we can continue to run decent here,” Elliott said. “Obviously, we'd love to kind of take that next step and try to contend for a win.  

“But from where I've been here in the past, night and day, so I was really happy and proud of that.”