How Chase Elliott Took Page from Alan Kulwicki to Break 42-Race NASCAR Winless Streak

• Chase Elliott, like his famous racing father Bill, keeps his emotion—and his life—private, and that makes him difficult to understand sometimes.

• During the offseason, Hendrick Motorsports leaders met with Elliott to confirm he was in a good place psychology. Elliott was fine.

• Chase Elliott's win at Texas to snap a 42-race winning streak was a touching moment to see a page of Elliott family and Alan Kulwicki history come full circle.

Team owner Rick Hendrick never gave up on Chase Elliott and neither did crew chief Alan Gustafson, but more importantly, Elliott never gave up on himself, Gustafson or his team.

The three men have spent most of their lives either around or involved in racing and they understand the sport’s peaks and valleys, its ebb and flow. That doesn’t mean the low times aren’t difficult to handle because they are, and they often rip a team apart.

Gustafson and Elliott maintained their confidence in each other and ignored outside chatter. Hendrick knew the two men belonged together. Elliott, whose personality is very similar to his father’s, handled the situation as Bill Elliott did when times became tough—shut out the distractions and focus on the task at hand.

The 28-year-old Elliott knew the problems he had with the current Cup car, and he needed to work on solving them. He fulfilled his media and sponsor obligations, but he considered anything else that didn’t make him a better driver and help his team a waste of time.

During the offseason, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon and president and general manager Jeff Andrews met with Elliott to confirm he was in a good place psychology. Elliott was fine.

A few changes were made to the team with probably the most notable his spotter. Elliott’s long-time spotter Eddie D’Hondt was replaced with the driver’s cousin Trey Poole. The two raced Legends cars together during their childhood years and Poole was Elliott’s second spotter on road courses. He also took over for D’Hondt on an interim basis in 2021.