NASCAR Sends Strong Message to NFL on Super Bowl as Chase Elliott’s Stance Against Patrick Mahomes & Chiefs Comes True

Patrick Mahomes and NASCAR? Surely not a match made in heaven. But it doesn’t hurt to try, does it? Around four years ago, NASCAR driver-turned-broadcaster Clint Bowyer had helped the Kansas City Chiefs QB bridge the gap between play calling, and bumper-to-bumper racing.

“I wanted to bring you into our world a little bit,” Bowyer had told the then 25-year-old Mahomes, as he directed the latter to a setup he wasn’t that familiar with. Smack dab in the middle of the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex turf in Missouri was an iRacing—a racing simulation game—setup. The opponent?

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series Kyle Busch. “Kyle are you ready for this?…You sure you’re gonna catch me man?” Mahomes had wittily asked. What’s more? Well, Bowyer certainly didn’t fail to give his guest the full stock car racing experience…

“You gotta have a spotter…and there is no better spotter than our boy Eric Stonestreet,” the veteran said, while introducing the ‘Modern Family’ sitcom star. Stonestreet surely wasn’t going to take his job lightly either. Speaking in a language Mahomes will expertly understand, the Hollywood star had said, “Keep matriculating down the track,” while taking some good ol’ Wednesday wisdom from former Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs coach Hank Stram’s iconic statement.

For the unversed: A night before the Super Bowl IV in 1970 (where the Chiefs were set to clash against the Minnesota Vikings), NFL Films’ founder Steve Sabol had called up Stram. While the coach refused at first, they eventually met in his suite. Sabol had just one request: “Hank, I wanna do something that has never been done before. I want to put a concealed microphone the size of your thumb under your shirt and a transmitter the size of a package of cigarettes in your pocket. And you have to understand that we will record everything you say during the game.” Why?

Well, as some described it, “Stram had a vocabulary of his own.” Or as Sabol put it, the coach had a “great flair for the English language,” and a “way of stating the obvious with a sense of discovery”. The next day, benefits were reaped in ample. “Keep matriculating the ball down the field, boys,” Stram had blurted out, making way for one of the most iconic lines in NFL history. So, of course, Mahomes would be pretty familiar with it.

However, the day was not his in the end. Like a true NASCAR veteran, Busch expertly sent his opponent to the outside wall ending his race. The result? Busch winning, and Bowyer jokingly telling Patrick, “Just quit driving Patrick. That’s the best advice I think I’ve ever heard.” But looks like this is the only place NASCAR managed to win against the NFL…

It is a well-known fact that American Football has always been way ahead of NASCAR in recent years. To talk in numbers: In 2017, four times as many people attended NFL games, as compared to stock car racing events. “Approximately 17,253,425 people attended NFL games, while 4,059,000 NASCAR fans showed up to live races,” a report from WSN noted. So, of course, a clash in schedules is not NASCAR executives would want.

Once the 2024 NFL season was over, NASCAR posted a video on X, sending a powerful message to the NFL with the caption, “We’ll take it from here. #DAYTONA500” It also promoted the 67th Daytona 500 rally that’s scheduled for next Sunday, February 16, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The animated video showed a car adorned with ‘The Great American Race’-inspired paint scheme. The car was seen zooming toward the Florida-based location. “It’s our turn now,” a message read, as Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron (who also won last year’s Daytona 500) lifting his hands in celebration.

Top Comment by Resa54

Yes, most definitely

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Notably, the race is scheduled for 2:30 PM ET on Sunday. Just like the Super Bowl LIX, POTUS Donald Trump is reportedly planning to attend the Daytona 500 as well. If true, this would be his fifth appearance—he attended as a private citizen in 1999, 2000, and 2001, while serving as the Grand Marshal of the race in 2020.

On a separate note, it’s not unusual for the stock car racing organization to consider even moving its iconic event, just so it wouldn’t clash with the Super Bowl. In fact, back in 2011, ‘The Great American Race’ was even moved in favor of The Big Game. In a rare instance NASCAR executive Steve O’Donnell had admitted back then, “We’re not going to deny the fact that part of this also is in dealing with the NFL. Who knows where they’ll go with an 18-game schedule, but we want to get ahead of that. Either way, we think it’s the right thing to do for our season. The Super Bowl is certainly a big event, but so is the Daytona 500, and to give fans an opportunity to go to both of those is certainly the right move.”

Having said that, for the speed junkies, the event brings fulfillment. Chase Elliott, the Hendrick Motorsports driver, has some bad memories of the race. However, looks like the recent NFL game will surely give him a good night of sleep.

Jalen Hurts & Eagles grant Chase Elliott’s wish in Super Bowl LIX

When asked about his Super Bowl LIX pick, Elliott had said, “I’d like to see the Eagles win. Jalen seems like a stand-up leader and individual, somebody that I think everybody can admire.” With a 40-22 victory, Hurts also avenged the Super Bowl LVII defeat 2 years ago. The Chiefs were broken! But wait, they were not his original favorites.

Earlier, the NASCAR driver developed a liking for Bills QB Josh Allen. And why not? Rising as a dual-threat quarterback, Allen became the first signal caller in NFL history to score 3 passing + 3 rushing TDs in the same game, in the week 14 matchup against LA Rams. He got his first MVP this year.

They also won the week 11 game against the Chiefs but lost the AFC Championship game to them by 29-32. Elliott’s first favorites were cut short by the Chiefs. But on February 9, the Eagles QB granted him his wish and made sure the Eagles were ahead in all departments of the game. In the first 43 minutes of the game, they were soaring with 34-0, ultimately winning by 40-22. Patrick Mahomes & Travis Kelce were devastated.

With football season ending now, it’s time for sports lovers to turn their attention to NASCAR. The Daytona 500 victory has always eluded him. Just like Hurts, can he do it this year? The time is now!