You’ve got to feel a little bad for Elliott
You have to feel just a little bad for 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott.
Why?
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, NASCAR’s annual awards ceremony was a virtual event.
Gads.
This awards ritual used to bea big deal. For nearly two decades NASCAR’s champion was feted in New York City, where the driver wash and handed oversized checks in the millions of dollars.
NASCAR president Bill France Jr. started the New York tradition in the early 1980s as away tos how case the sport to major media outlets.
When the sanctioning body got an
offer from Las Vegas, they moved the annuals Shindig to “Sin City.”
Then as away of coming back to its roots, the championship crowning went to Nashville, where the dinner theme was dropped in favor of a cocktail hour (actually 90 minutes).
And this year, that was whittled down to a virtual celebration, which didn’t dampen the champ’s spirits.
“It’s been amazing, ”Elliott said. “Ifeel like everything I could ever ask for and then some in these last two weeks have just been incredible. I feel like it’s still kind of a dream and things are not real.” Thank goodness for those folks down at the Dawsonville Pool Room who know how to throw a party.
Now we go from fourth gear into neu tral as the short off season begins . . .
First gear
This will come as no surprise. Chase Elliott took home his third consecutive Most Popular Driver Award in the Cup Series category.
Bu they, how about a nod forthe other two MPDs. Justin Allgaier took top honors in the Xfinity Series while Zane Smith was voted most likeable in the
NASCAR Gander RV& Outdoors Truck Series (which is the last time we have to call it that, thank goodness—Camping World is returning as series sponsor).
Second gear
NASCAR had planned to run its Next Gen stock car in 2021. Those plans were squashed by COVID-19. Now teams are popping up here and the retesting the car that will run in 2022.
The Next Gen car did a two day test at Charlotte with Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. handling driving duties.
NASCAR vicepresident John Probst was running the show at Charlotte.
“When ever you bring out a new mod el with a car of the complexity that we’re working on today, there is a whole men tal shift that has to happen in regards to what changes are important to how the car handles, ”Probst said.
Daytona will stage a Next Gen test Dec. 1516.
Third gear
For those who want to glimpse at the Cup Series champion, Elliott has entered the Snowball Derby in Pensacola on Dec.6. He will be driving a car owned by James Finch.
Elliott has two Snowball wins on his resume. Finch got one win as a Cup Se ries team owner, but never lost a party.
Fourth gear
When new won’t work, go old-school. Long-suffering Roush Fenway Racing hired veteran Jimmy Fennigt or units competition department. Fennig is sav vy enough to know he should downplay immediate success at his new job.
“Make no mistake, our goal is to get these Roush Fenway Fords to the front,” he said.“We know we have a lot of work in front of us.”