Kyle Petty: NASCAR needs Chase Elliott to win races

Chase Elliott finally returned to victory lane over the weekend, and Kyle Petty believes NASCAR needs more victories from the No. 9.

Of course, Elliott has been the sport’s recipient of the Most Popular Driver Award since he came into the Cup Series. According to Petty, Elliott returning to form and winning multiple races in 2024 will only work wonders for NASCAR’s popularity as a whole.

“Chase Elliott. We need him to win. The sport needs him to win. We need that exposure. We need that Mr. Popularity. We need that Mr. Congeniality. We need him there,” Petty said, via NASCAR.com. “Yesterday, we got him back in Texas. And that was a big step for us. That’s a big step for the sport.”

Prior to Elliott’s win at Texas, Petty had been pointing out some solid performances from the No. 9 team over the last couple of weeks. Continuing, Petty explained how it all came together for Elliott in the end, and how he was able to fend off Denny Hamlin for the win.

“I guess it took a total eclipse of the sun to get the planets lined up so that Chase Elliott could find his way back to victory lane. Honestly, this should come as no surprise,” Petty added. “If we go over the last three or four races. I called hin Pooh-bear. Listen, I didn’t know if there’s a crow in the Pooh story or not, and I’m gonna have to eat some crow on this one. I called him Pooh, because finally he showed up for a race, and we get to Texas, and through strategy, and I’m telling you, determination — and I have to give him this, I have to give Chase Elliott this. The race for him, I believe, was won through strategy and the late race restart, where he took the lead when the caution came out from Denny Hamlin, and forced Denny to have to run a different race.

“At that time, he could have been on either offense or defense. Once he took the lead, he was offense. He was offense. Denny was defense, and Denny backed that baby in the wall on defense. That’s what happens when you have to play a different game than what you plan towards the end of the race.”

Instead of laying back and letting the race come to him, Chase Elliott went out and took his first win in well over a year. That’s exactly what he needed to do, and what NASCAR needs to see more of over the rest of the 2024 campaign.