Grubb named Kahne’s crew chief:
Kevin Harvick considered the list of young drivers often suggested as NASCAR’s next big stars and replacements for departed veterans Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. He suggested that only one prospect could truly hook a new generation of fans.
“NASCAR needs Chase Elliott to win,” Harvick said this summer. “Chase Elliott is the tie to the traditional NASCAR fan. It’s the only shot they’ve got with the traditional NASCAR fan. His dad. The history and heritage of the sport. There isn’t anybody else in the lineup that I can think of.”
Elliott hasn’t yet reached Junior-levels of popularity, but the 21-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver might be the next one to carry the banner as NASCAR’s most popular driver. First, Elliott wants to hold the checkered flag for a victory lap at a Cup race.
Elliott had the race of his season at NASCAR’s playoff opener at Chicagoland Speedway, matching his career-best finish of second, behind championship favorite Martin Truex Jr. He led 42 laps, the most since he was out in front for 106 at Phoenix before fading to 12th. Elliott stayed strong this time and won the second stage, jumping to sixth in the standings with two races left before the playoff field is cut to 12.
Elliott has yet to win a Cup race in 68 career starts and heads to a New Hampshire track where he’s never finished better than 11th in three career starts. The cover of the New Hampshire race program nonetheless shows Elliott and Kyle Larson in sunglasses with the headline, “The Future is Bright: Elliott and Larson to Carry NASCAR Torch.”
Larson was fifth at Chicagoland and is second in the standings. Both drivers seem a lock to advance to the second round. NASCAR would surely love a duel between a pair of 20-somethings that could turn into a rivalry for years. For now, Elliott was wishing his Chevrolet could have pushed Truex harder.
“It would have been great to battle with Martin a little bit more,” Elliott said, but “from where we’ve been to where we ran today was a major, major step in the right direction”
Bill Elliott won NASCAR’s most popular driver award 16 times and it’s that link to the past that has drivers like Harvick convinced Chase’s success is key for any type of NASCAR’s needed resurgence. Chase may still be too young to truly challenge Truex or former champions ahead of him in the standings — Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch — for the title. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, Elliott’s teammate, is hoping to make NASCAR history with an eighth title.
Busch posted a blistering pole speed at Chicagoland and dominated the race early until pit road miscues knocked him out of contention. Clean that up, and he could go door-to-door with Truex for the title in the finale at Homestead.
Elliott hoped he could give the contenders a run down the stretch. “We need to be better than what we’ve been in the past,” he said. “Obviously, have some work to do to get to that bunch that won the race.”
Hendrick Motorsports has replaced Kasey Kahne’s crew chief for the rest of the season. Darian Grubb is the crew chief for Kahne’s No. 5 Chevrolet for the remaining nine races.