Chase Elliott: A Decade of Growth and Evolution
LAS VEGAS — In sports, there are icons who bring in the masses to their living rooms or the sports arena. Chase Elliott is not only one of the of the faces of NASCAR, but one of the most accomplished racecar drivers in this era at the age of 29.
Elliott is unassuming, old school and proud of his roots. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion does most of his talking inside the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet on race day.
It is more than just being a second generation racer who spent time growing up at the track with his father, Bill. For this native of Dawsonville, Georgia, the journey has more to do with growing comfortable and confident on what it means to be himself long before the wins, championships and spotlight in Sports Illustrated’s “Where Will They Be” segment in 2009.
When Elliott was 19, he made his Cup debut at Martinsville Speedway on Mar. 29, 2015. On that day, he did more than gain experience and knowledge.
He embarked on a journey that has taken him to incredible heights and humbling moments, experiences he would not trade.
Simply put, Elliott counts his blessings and tries to appreciate each day and race weekend with a fresh perspective.
“It's pretty crazy how how fast it's gone by,” Elliott said. “But it’s certainly been a lot of good days in in those 10 years [and] a lot of bad days in in those 10 years. But it’s been a fun ride and I think for me, how much it's changed my life over the course of the last 10 years and and being able to do this for a living is pretty special. It's just not something that is super normal.
“I try not to take that for granted. It's very easy to get caught up in the competition side of it and and lose track of just what we get to do on a weekly basis for a job. And so I've tried to do better with that over the years of just enjoying enjoying the ride a little more and I think that's an important piece of doing this for a long period of time.”
No matter one’s occupation, growth and evolution are constants. This fact is not lost with Elliott who realizes his life in the fast lane is a unique opportunity.
“I definitely think a lot changes from 20 to 30,” he shared. “Just [with] life in general, whether you're a race car driver or a journalist or whatever it is, it's a unique way to to spend your time. But I've enjoyed my time and hope I can stick around for for a while longer and and try to make it go.”
Life in Elliott’s shoes is not like most drivers or athletes in their craft. Admittedly, he knows a lot rides on his shoulders whenever he clambers into his No. 9 Chevrolet.
Once the helmet, gloves, shoes and firesuit are on, Elliott competes at full speed and strength for himself, for his team and his ardent supporters to be amongst the best in his field.
“I think that kinda comes back to just the balance of doing this stuff,” Elliott observed. “And it can be challenging because I think the competitor inside me that's always at the forefront of my preparation throughout the week and my thought process is just making sure I'm doing the job that I need to be doing for my team.
“These guys work really hard throughout the week to bring the best racecar they can to the racetrack and our prep work to be prepared to execute a good race day. So all of the other stuff is all for naught if I'm not doing my job behind the wheel. I think for me, trying to prioritize that, and I think that the folks that have supported us throughout the years recognize that at least at this juncture and can respect that is the the most important thing to us. Giving them something to cheer about at the end of the day on Sundays is is why we all watch.”
Despite how intense and focused Elliott is with extracting the most out of his cars and executing at a high level, he recognizes the importance of the fans at the track, on social media and at appearances.
From signing autographs at the track to representing his sponsors in NAPA Auto Parts, Prime Video and UniFirst, Elliott recognizes his responsibilities but understands the need to show as much of his authentic self with the external audiences.
“I think it's just about the balance of of balancing the competition side of what we do and making sure that you're in the right headspace for that, but also showing appreciation to the people that ultimately let us come come do this,” Elliott said. “And those are our fans, and I've always tried to recognize that. I don't take those things for granted, and I do take this stuff very seriously.
“This is a serious thing. It's not a joke. There's a lot of people that depend on me to go and and do my job on on race day. And also do my job throughout the week as it pertains to taking care of our partners and making sure everybody's getting the value out of this that that that they deserve and should. So there's way more to it than than just driving. I think the longer you do it, you help prioritize what's right, what's wrong, what matters, and what doesn't.”