Chase Elliott is facing an uphill climb in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway. On Saturday, Elliott and the No. 9 team for Hendrick Motorsports qualified in 18th place, which ranks third among the team’s four drivers. It was a disappointing result for the driver of the No. 9 car.
Elliott hasn’t been strong on road courses in the NextGen era, and it has only gotten worse during the 2026 NASCAR season. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has lacked top 10 pace on road courses, and now he has to find a way to gain track position and stay up front on Sunday afternoon.
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Over the last month, Elliott has fallen to sixth in the standings, so a good points day might be the most important outcome. Unless Elliott and the No. 9 team can find more speed, a race win might not be on the table. Instead, Elliott could hope for good points in Stage 1 to help maximize his day.
More: NASCAR starting lineup for Cup Series race at Sonoma in June 2026
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Chase Elliott faces uphill climb for NASCAR Cup race at Sonoma in 2026
