Denny Hamlin Proclaims “Chase Elliott Factor” to Be the Last Link to the Dale Earnhardt Jr & Tony Stewart Era

Earlier on Sunday, Chase Elliott made his return to the NASCAR Cup Series. The #9 Hendrick Motorsports star had been out of action for six races after he injured himself in a snowboarding accident. Safe to say, his absence was sorely felt in the NASCAR community.

On the back of poor TV viewership numbers from the last few races, fans had a theory in mind. They believed that Elliott’s absence and the low viewership were directly related. Now, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin have been lending credence to that theory.

Hamlin’s co-host Jared Allen, on the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, mentioned, “I’m looking forward to seeing these ratings. If they do in fact, show that there’s a Chase Elliott factor, I think that’s good for drivers, helping prove to NASCAR, ‘Hey! Your drivers are your important pieces, right?”

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“You need to promote them more’. So there’s more of a Chase Elliott factor.”

What is Denny Hamlin’s assessment of the ‘Chase Elliott factor’?

Truthfully speaking, no one can really say if Elliott had a strong influence on NASCAR’s viewership. Sure, he is the most popular driver, but is one person truly the key to NASCAR’s success on the TV screens?

According to Hamlin, the star power in NASCAR had been absent. There are no big personalities, like Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, or Tony Stewart, in the sport as of now.

Replying to Allen, Hamlin said, “That’s what our series lacked since the big guys went away. The Tony Stewarts, the Dale Jr’s. It’s the star power, right?”

“When the most popular driver is not at the race track, who has the largest fanbase, it’ll play some factor. I think that his fans were fans of his Dad or just fans of his. They’re going to watch NASCAR racing, probably no matter what. If we’re flat or not a double digit loss, we’re probably saying that its a Chase factor for sure.”

“Kevin Harvick definitely said it correctly when he said that he is kind of the last link to the legacy fan for sure.”

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

One thing is for sure: when the numbers are released later this week, then all will be answered. The 2020 Cup Series champion actually enjoyed a decent return to the Cup arena with a Top 10 finish.