Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

Chase Elliott making surprise start in NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono

Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Jonathan Howard | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 1:11 PM ET

How is this for Monday morning news? Chase Elliott will be in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway this weekend. A bit of a surprise for Hendrick and Elliott fans who will be attending the races at the Tricky Triangle. Double duty for the Dawsonville hero.

Chase Elliott had a really great run at Mexico City. It didn’t end in a win, but he picked up his fourth top-five of the season. It was perhaps the first time this season where it felt like if he had one more restart, he might have been able to steal the win away.

Things are tricky up in Pocono. So, Elliott will be getting a few extra laps in on Saturday.

Surprise! The No. 17 gets a familiar face with @chaseelliott pulling doubly duty at @poconoraceway. pic.twitter.com/wSVljfEQ24
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) June 16, 2025

The Xfinity Series season has been really great. Watching these drivers compete against each other each week, plus the Cup Series regulars who come down to mix it up with the young guys.

This year, Justin Allgaier has been on another level entirely. Of course, drivers like Austin Hill and Connor Zilisch have been keeping the defending champion honest week in and week out.

Chase Elliott is suiting up for the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports team once again. He made one start earlier this season in Xfinity. That resulted in a P2 finish at Darlington. In 2024 he won the Xfinity race at Charlotte.

The last time Elliott raced at Pocono in the Xfinity Series was 2023. That race, he finished P3. He has never won at Pocono in the second-tier NASCAR series.

Is Chase Elliott ready to win at Pocono?

This season, Chase Elliott has managed to finish in the top-20 every race. He had his best finish of the season in Mexico City while chasing down Christopher Bell and Shane van Gisbergen. The Hendrick driver has not won a Cup Series race since Texas last season.

Elliott has won at Pocono. It was during that great 2024 season he had on his way to his third straight Championship 4. The two seasons since then have not been as successful, but Elliott is hoping to change that this weekend.

A win would go a long way for this No. 9 team. I don’t blame Chase for getting extra laps in the Xfinity car. Alan Gustafson and Elliott have both faced criticism for not having that extra edge and that winning speed that they need to get the job done. Elliot is a champion of the sport and expects to contend for championships each season. That hasn’t been the case the last two years, both due to injury and a lack of overall speed.

The sport is at its best when its stars are winning. That includes Chase Elliott. Pocono would be a great place to get that first win of the season and coming off his great run at Mexico City, it just might happen. Could he sweep the weekend in Xfinity and Cup?

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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