“If He Doesn’t, He’s Failed” – Billionaire Hendrick Motorsports Boss Breaks His Silence on Chase Elliott’s Blame-Game

As the Championship 4 race in Phoenix draws closer, a lot of fans will be placing their bets on Chase Elliott. The 26-year-old driver is the youngest among the 4 on the grid and has a stellar record in the Cup Series. Team owner of Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick, will be hoping their young gun gets the job done on Sunday.

Rick Hendrick spoke to Bob Pockrass about Chase Elliott’s attitude and mentality – always wanting more from himself than blaming others. He said “…And when Chase Elliott can’t drive a car because we messed the setup, that’s not his fault. But he will never ever ever want to defame the team. He always takes it on himself. I’ve talked to him a lot about it. I think he just feels like he can carry it, and if he doesn’t he’s failed.”

“And that’s not… I admire that about him to a certain point that I see so many drivers get out and blame the car for everything. And he will never do that. His confidence is high. And I think he’s so competitive, he just wants to put the team and the organization before himself. He knows how good he is and I’ve talked to him several times this week.”

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“He’s ready for this race, he wants to win another Championship and Alan’s burning up to win another one too. So he, I think once he gets out of the car you’re seeing just a little bit of frustration of where they finished, and he’s just disappointed. But he does carry a lot of the lug he doesn’t need to carry,” said Rick.

From what Hendrick says, 26-year-old Chase Elliott is a far more mature driver than most would be after 15-20 years of driving. His achievements show it, and Hendrick have jewel in their hands in form of Elliott.

What do the stats say about a Chase Elliott victory?

Chase Elliott is a proven winner – the fact that he made it to the Championship 4 race is testament to how good his performances have been. But a win in Phoenix for the 2020 champion would be another feather to an already crowded cap.

Elliott has led the most laps this season with 857. Additionally, he has won 5 races, with thirteen top 5 finishes and 21 top 10 finishes to add to that. A victory on Sunday would put him on an exclusive list. He and Kyle Busch would be the only active drivers with multiple Cup Series wins.

The young driver has qualified for all 7 seasons that he has raced in and has earned his third consecutive appearance in the Championship 4. 

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The ladies’ man is, of course, one of the fan favorites going into the race. Apart from it, his team and crew are one of the most successful enterprises, and that experience would be of great use.