Over the final 20 many years, NASCAR’s most popular driver has always been the son of one of the legends of the sport.
Following the demise of his father, Dale Earnhardt Jr. held the title of “Most Well known Driver” from 2003 until eventually his retirement in 2017. Considering the fact that then one more son of a racing legend, Chase Elliott, has experienced the most common honors.
Like Earnhardt, Elliott grew up wholly surrounded by the environment of NASCAR. The Georgia indigenous is the son of NASCAR Corridor-of-Famer Invoice Elliott, who gained 44 races and the 1988 Cup Collection championship more than the system of his vocation.
Even though these types of accomplishments might look like a challenging act to stick to, the younger Elliott has currently proven himself to be 1 of NASCAR’s top drivers.
He won the Xfinity Series title in 2014 — ironically driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s workforce — and then clinched his 1st Cup Series championship in 2020. He at present has 13 race victories at the sport’s maximum level.
But remaining the facial area of a sport will come with a ton of stress. The stress to win comes in a natural way. But there also is the strain to support expand the sport.
In a new profile for Sporting activities Enterprise Journal, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon said he preferred the team’s drivers to broaden their horizons – by interacting a lot more with fans and sponsors.
“He wishes us to mature – expand not only ourselves separately, but our sport as a entire,” Elliott said. “If the motorists are expanding their pursuing, then probable the sport is benefiting from it as well.
“I feel he’s just making an attempt to help all people get. At the finish of the working day, if we’re all attaining a adhering to or reputation in a diverse spot that we ordinarily wouldn’t be in, you are probably heading to advantage. And possible, we’re all likely to profit.”
Chase Elliott speaks with workforce operator Rick Hendrick during previous year’s Championship 4 weekend at Phoenix Raceway. (Picture by Chris Graythen/Getty Visuals)
Gordon appreciates all about increasing the sport of inventory vehicle racing. When he burst on to the circuit in the early 1990s, he swiftly grew to become the deal with of NASCAR, showing up in every little thing from Pepsi advertisements to motion picture cameos and even as a host of Saturday Evening Are living in 2003.
As the present confront of NASCAR, would Elliott be willing to do the exact same?
“Yeah, I indicate we all have a comfort zone, for certain,” Elliott explained. “I think for me, I do not brain stepping outside my comfort zone.
“Where by I occasionally battle with seeking to go do things is I want to come to feel like all those people want me there as well. You want to feel like someone cares about getting you as a section of their display or whichever it may be not just to look at a box for them.
“When I sense appreciated and regard, I’m all-in and I’ll go as significantly outdoors of my convenience zone as they want to get.”
Eliott admitted that he’s confident there are some alternatives he’s turned down in advance of. But it normally takes two to tango and he thinks the ideal advertising prospects arise when each parties are on the very same web page.
“I sense like we usually test to make it function,” Elliott claimed. “If they have an notion of a thing which is likely to give you some publicity or whichever it may possibly be, I come to feel like nine times out of 10, I uncover a way to make that come about.
“When a lover activates with you, it is not just them that is benefiting. If you are currently being activated on a countrywide level, you are benefiting also just by currently being there. It goes both strategies.
“Also, I’m appreciative of the prospects that I have had – to get on that stage and be capable to do that and that is all for the reason that of a companion most likely.”