Elliott goes from last to 1st to title
For the first time in his short, fiveyear NASCAR Cup Series career, Chase Elliott is a champion.
The 24-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver dominated Sunday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway, leading a race-high of 154 total laps, on his way to his first Cup title. He’s the third-youngest driver to win the championship with his 25th birthday later this month.
Elliott started from the back of the field because his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet failed prerace inspection twice. But he made his way to the front and beat fellow championship contenders Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin, who finished second, third and fourth respectively. Jimmie Johnson, who is now retired from full-time racing, finished fifth.
NASCAR’s reigning most popular driver’s father, Bill Elliott, won the 1988 Cup Series title, and now they’re the third father-son duo to be NASCAR champions. The Elliotts join Lee and Richard Petty and Ned and Dale Jarrett in that exclusive family club.
Elliott posted his fifth victory of the 2020 season and 11th of his career. But to win the championship, he didn’t have to win the race, just finish higher than the three three contenders.
“I’m not sure I still even know,” Elliott said immediately after the race when asked if he can describe his emotions. “I’m at a loss for words. This is unbelievable. Oh my gosh. We did it. We did it! That’s all I’ve gotta tell you. Unreal.”
Elliott said in the final laps with the other three championship contenders chasing him he was just waiting for the caution flag to come out and potentially create chaos on a restart. The caution never came, and Elliott remained in disbelief on pit road.
“Unbelievable,” Elliott continued. “I just never would have thought that this year would have gone like it has. NASCAR Cup Series champion? Are you kidding me? Unreal.”
When asked about adding to his family’s legacy, he said: “Oh, it’s unbelievable. All you can dream for is opportunity, and I’ve been very fortunate to have that over the years. And that’s all thanks to great people. My parents, obviously, have played a huge role. The past year has been tough. I lost my best friend about a year ago tonight. Lost my grandmother last year. And all those things bring families closer, so I really can’t thank them enough.
“Mr. Hendrick, for taking a chance on me and believing in me when a lot of people didn’t. I think it really says a lot about him. And then to have a championship sponsor like NAPA, all of our partners, and Chevrolet, huge thanks to Team Hendrick and everybody at our shop that peaked at the right time. That’s all we can ask for.”
Cindric, Creed are champions too
h Austin Cindric’s No. 22 Ford pit crew put on fresh tires, and Cindric did the rest in overtime laps Saturday, shooting past Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson to win the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 and the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. Cindric’s big gamble to come to pit road while holding the lead with two laps to go paid off, though he allowed Allgaier to move into the lead before the final restart for the chance at higher speed from new tires. “Amazing effort by this (No. 22) team. There was a lot of work put into this race car,” Cindric said. “I’m pretty humbled by the effort, for sure. Talk about a relationship between driver and crew chief.”
Sheldon Creed was in third place with three laps left in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series championship race Friday when suddenly a tremendous opportunity to win opened. Creed went from ninth out of a late-race pit stop to the lead in an overtime restart and captured his first series championship in his first trucks championship race. “I wanted to pit and at least have a shot there,” Creed said. “Just had a plan to run the bottom and try to pick off as many guys as I could ... just had to put together a good lap. Just incredible that we were able to do it.”
– Jose M. Romero, Arizona Republic