At only 25 years of age, Hendrick driver Chase Elliott became a NASCAR Cup Series champion. It was the story of a son destined for greatness, as his father, Bill Elliott, was also a NASCAR champion in the year 1988.
But did Elliott, who was born and raised in the small town of Dawsonville in Georgia, leave his hometown for a big city when he became successful and richer?
Yes, he did, but only for a little while.
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Chase Elliott relocated way before winning the 2020 title. Elliott, who burst onto the scene after winning the 2014 Xfinity Series title, revealed in a 2019 interview with Dale Jr. how he moved from Dawsonville to an apartment in North Carolina.
He did so in order to be closer to the racing community, but he eventually moved back to his hometown. The reason?
“Home’s home,” Elliott said.
He added, “I think that part for me is I’ve always taken a lot of pride in that. I always took a lot of pride in how we short-track raced and even going further back than that, how dad and his family went about racing. They always kind of did their own thing.
“I just take pride in that. I like living at home.”
Chase Elliott credits his mother just as much as his father
Leading up to the Peacock documentary on his life, aptly named “CHASE”, Elliott revealed just how much of an impact his mother had on his career compared to his father.
He said, “Obviously, everyone likes to talk about Dad from his racing career, but my mom has had just a large of an impact and has put in a lot of work, too.”
“I feel like the biggest thing with her is she is always setting a good example at the end of the day for me. She always just wants to make sure your heart and head are in the right place, and that’s kind of always been the case.”
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For some people, living away from home works out, and for some, living close to home works.
We now know what Chase Elliott prefers.
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The support he’s had from his hometown, from his home, has made him the most popular NASCAR driver for four years in a row as he’ll look to celebrate a second title in 2022 in Dawsonville, Georgia, where he grew up.