Chase Elliott’s Richard Petty-Esque Look at Atlanta Goes Viral

Ahead of this weekend’s NASCAR Cup race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Chase Elliott turned up with a new look. To be precise, he was seen rocking a mustache and no beard. All in all, it was a fairly unique look, and it didn’t take long for social media to notice it and react. Apparently, Elliott earned a few comparisons to none other than the King, Richard Petty, himself.

A few others compared him to MLB baseball pitcher, Spencer Strider. The 23-year-old Atlanta Braves player is well-known for his thick, luxuriant mustache. So it seemed that the Hendrick Motorsports driver was trying to emulate him in that department. Some people even joked about the #9 driver resembling the stereotypical Fu Manchu character, who is often depicted with a long mustache.

READ MORE: VIDEO: Richard Petty Hilariously Questions Jeff Gordon About His Iconic but Short Lived Mustache Look From the 90s

Chase Elliott also earned comparisons to other pop culture figures

It is also worth mentioning that the 2020 Cup Series champion was well-received for his ‘strong stache game’. A few even likened him to the late Burt Reynolds, who was known for his mustache. Finally, a few people compared the Hendrick Motorsports driver to the character Angel Eyes, hailing from the classic Western movie, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

All jokes aside, the driver will be looking forward to what is essentially his home race. Admittedly qualifying got rained out and he was handed pole by proxy. Now, Elliott will be eager to try and win in front of his home fans.

However, he has to contend with several rivals to win the race, including his own teammates at Hendrick Motorsports. This season, only two drivers have ever converted pole position to victory. On the bright side, Elliott is in fine form, with a pole in the last race, and winning the race prior to that.

WATCH STORY: Daniel Suarez’s NASCAR Win Completes the Class of 2012 – Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace & Ryan Blaney