What has happened?
After 16 of 36 races completed so far in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, and with the halfway point of the year fast approaching, Chase Elliott has climbed to the top of the series’ points standings with drivers Ross Chastain, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano rounding out the top five, all within 30 points of the lead.
There are already 12 winners this season with 10 races left before the beginning of the playoffs, leaving only four spots open in the playoff standings.
How did it happen?
Elliott has been having a quiet season thus far – quiet, but consistent.
The Georgian has earned only one win so far in the 2022 season, coming at Dover Motor Speedway during this year’s annual Drydene 400. So, one may wonder how he has somehow taken the points lead in both the playoff and regular-season standings.
In this modern-day era of NASCAR with stage racing, we have to look at each individual points racing performance. Throughout the first 16 races, Elliott has failed to earn less than 25 points only four times and has earned 136 stage points total – the most out of all Cup drivers.
However, Elliott has been consistent at the end of races as well. In fact. he has the third-most top-10 results out of all Cup Series drivers this year, only one behind Chastain and Kyle Busch.
Then there’s times when Elliott has had chances at winning.
At Auto Club Speedway in February, Elliott was battling teammate Kyle Larson for the lead when the latter drifted up the racing surface and made contact with Elliott, slicing his teammate’s tire and ruining his chances of victory.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was there.”- Larson https://t.co/C6xwGVgTK6 pic.twitter.com/jcBjEwzdVS
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 28, 2022
At Martinsville Speedway, the No. 9 led from the start of the race and never lost the lead until a pit stop under caution at the conclusion of stage two. Elliott’s team delivered a slow service, which allowed Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron to inherit the lead for all but six laps on his way to winning his second race.
Most recently at Sonoma Raceway, Elliott and teammate Larson were exchanging the lead through varying pit strategies. Elliott decided to pit late in stage two and relinquished the lead but would regain it once the conclusion of the event’s second stage break ended.
However, when the 2020 series champion left to exit pit road, crew chief Alan Gustafson halted him as a lug nut was…
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