Advance to Victory Lane: Chase Elliott has chance to get season back on track

Chase Elliott sits 98 points below the playoff elimination line, due in large part to six missed races because of a leg injury and one more because of a suspension. However, he can wipe away the slow start by having one outstanding afternoon in Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). History is firmly on his side because Elliott is third on the all-time list with seven road-course wins, trailing only NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). Elliott also has had a hot hand on road courses lately, with four top-10 finishes (in six starts) since the beginning of 2022 with the Next Gen car. FANTASY LIVE: Set your roster | See weekend schedule Elliott also comes back focused on making things right after his one-week suspension for wrecking Denny Hamlin. He told NASCAR.com on Tuesday he hopes to establish some momentum for his team, admitting that he hasn't found the right groove yet this season. With 11 regular-season races left for Elliott to get that playoff-securing victory, the pressure will certainly ramp up as we get closer to the August race at Daytona International Speedway. But we've seen when Elliott gets things going, he can be unstoppable -- as he was in 2020 on the road to winning a championship. The driver of the No. 9 qualified 10th for Sunday's race, and he remains the projected winner. OTHERS TO WATCH TYLER REDDICK: He has won three of the last five road-course races and finished in the top 10 in seven of the last eight road-course races. KYLE BUSCH: He has finished in the top seven in six of the last seven races at Sonoma and is a two-time Sonoma winner. AJ ALLMENDINGER: He has finished in the top 10 in four of his last five road-course starts, but has only two top-10 finishes in 11 Sonoma starts. Following Saturday's on-track action, his projection improved by three positions. CHRIS BUESCHER: He has finished in the top 10 in the last six road-course races (longest active streak) and was runner-up last year at Sonoma. Projections as of Sunday, June 11. Note: Noah Gragson will be replaced by Grant Enfinger in the No. 42 this weekend. RACING INSIGHTS' PROJECTIONS FOR TOYOTA/SAVE MART 350 Racing Insights' advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results. [table id=49 /]