Chase Elliott says qualifying better is the key to snapping long winless drought

LONG POND, Pennsylvania -- Although he sits fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, Chase Elliott isn't completely satisfied with his body of work in the 2025 season. 

The 2020 champion and NASCAR's most popular driver is riding a 43-race winless streak into Sunday's Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway, and that drought is the chief topic of conversation surrounding Elliott's season. 

When compared to a pair of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates in William Byron and Kyle Larson, who lead the points standings and have both won in 2025, Elliott noted one major difference between himself and his HMS contemporaries. 

"There's a lot of things that go into that, but I think probably the biggest one is qualifying," Elliott said. "I think qualifying is so important. (It's) an area that I've struggled in, no doubt." 

Elliott's words are reflected on the stat sheet: his average start this season is 15.4, compared to Byron's mark of 9.3 and Larson's of 11.5. 

"I look at Michigan, I thought Michigan was a really good example. We got ourselves up front. When that happened, we were really competitive. It was like night and day from running around 10th to 20th and (being) in a lot of traffic and starting runs in traffic. It can dictate what your car drives like." 

Elliott's words ring true when you look at his history at Pocono. After qualifying third in 2022, Elliott crossed the line third and was declared the winner after Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were disqualified. In his last two Pocono starts, starting positions of 35th and 11th have led to finishes of 10th and ninth, respectively. 

"Being up front, having a really good pit stall, keeping yourself up there - it can change the complexion of your day in such a large way nowadays." 

The Cup Series will take to the track for Busch Pole qualifying at 1:45 p.m. ET, with coverage on Prime Video and MRN. 

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.