“He’s Our Biggest Star”: Kevin Harvick Endorses Fan Theory About the “Chase Elliott Effect” on NASCAR’s Growth

For the past few weeks, Chase Elliott had been out of action due to injury. The Hendrick Motorsports star was involved in a snowboarding accident and broke his leg. Obviously, he was forced to sit out and agonizingly wait for his recovery. This would have not pleased Hendrick Motorsports or the Elliott fans. Considering that he is regarded as the most popular driver, a sizeable chunk of the fanbase would have missed him. According to some fans, Elliott’s absence has impacted the viewership, and this was most evident at Bristol last weekend. In light of this, Kevin Harvick weighed in on Elliott’s influence.

Harvick told the reporter Zach Sturniolo, “Well it impacts our TV ratings. I know that for sure. There’s more people who want to watch when Chase Elliott is here. We’re all thankful that he’s back. Whether you like somebody or don’t like somebody, get along with somebody or don’t.

“Everybody has a piece of the puzzle that they fall into. Chase for us, he’s our biggest star and he’s the guy that needs to be here every week for it all to make sense. For me, that’s important from an all-round picture. I know that sounds selfish, I didn’t intend it to sound selfish. Meant that as a broad perspective on NASCAR racing in general.”

READ MORE: Amid Speculations About Bristol’s Uncertain Future, Fans Deem “Chase Elliott Effect” the Reason Behind Track’s Unexpected Slump

With Chase Elliott back, will the viewership increase?

Honestly speaking, it would be difficult to say if the #9 driver could directly influence the viewership. After all, nobody is going to know the viewership numbers until they are made public in a couple of days. As for Elliott, the driver starts the race in 24th place, so his work is cut out for him, as he aims to make his way up the pack.

However, the road will not be easy as there are 400 laps between him and a chance for glory. Furthermore, he must be careful to not get involved in any wreck, as the last thing he needs is to aggravate his injury. Obviously, he would not want to go back to hospital, after just leaving it.

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