99 Times Unlucky, Hendrick Motorsports Star Chase Elliott’s 6-Word Message Acted as Cornerstone For First Success in NASCAR

Chase Elliott has been one of the most popular drivers on the NASCAR grid. However, being the son of eminent NASCAR driver Bill Elliott, one would think Chase might have won his first race in the cup series quite early. However, that isn’t true. In fact, Elliott took way longer than expected to grab his first-ever win in the top flight of American stock car racing. It’s not that he wasn’t good early on. But instead, one could argue that the perfect moment arrived a bit later. In his first season alone, Elliott scored two 2nd place finishes, however, that first coveted win would take a long 99 races before it finally came to him.

It was the 5th of August back in 2018, at Watkins Glen International. Elliott sensed the sight of victory nearing him with each and every lap. By the end of it all, the kid from Dawsonville had already led 52 laps. Soon he hit the chequered flag finishing a glorious seven seconds ahead of his nearest competitor that day, Martin Truex Jr. This was it, the beginning of Chase Elliott’s legacy in the Cup Series.

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After the race ended, Elliott ran out of fuel. Instead of being stranded in the middle of the racetrack, on his greatest day, he received a helping hand from his teammate and the seven-time champion, Jimmie Johnson. After spotting him stationary on the road, Johnson famously backed his car up and helped push Elliott’s car all the way to the victory lane.

What did Chase Elliott say after his first win?

During an interview after the race (Watkins Glen), Elliott mentioned, “We needed to get to victory lane. The thing that kept me going and kept me driven was that every time we did our best at practice and qualifying and executing the race.”

He further added, “we had a shot to win. It was just about extracting that more often.”

While the celebrations were wild that fine day, there was still more to come from Elliott. That season, he went on to clinch two more victories to his name.

Chase Elliott went on to win the 2020 Cup Series Championship

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With that win back in 2018 at Watkins Glen, Elliott had set in motion what was to come. Soon during the 2020 season, he showcased a dominant form. Going on to win five races that season and eventually the championship title.

Elliott had finally showcased what he was built of. The son of former NASCAR Cup Series Champion Bill Elliott had cemented his place in the history books. Bill had scored a total of 44 Cup Series wins throughout his career. For Chase, it seems like he would close that number pretty soon. This season (2022) alone, the Hendrick Motorsports driver scored five wins and led a total of 857 laps.

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Moreover, he also went on to win the most popular driver award for the fifth consecutive season. If we take a peak into the past, his father, Bill Elliott, won the same award a staggering 16 times. Maybe his son would be able to achieve that feat too. Who knows? There’s still more to come from Elliott. He is still under 30, and hungry for his second championship.