Chase for a championship
Elliott a title contender
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 earlier 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 — or even Danica Patrick as she nears the stock car exit ramp — but the 21-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver just 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 over the weekend, matching his career-best finish of second, behind
championship favourite Martin Truex Jr. He led 42 laps, the most since he was out in front for 106 at Phoenix where before he faded to 12th. Elliott stayed strong this time and even 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 and from there, anything can happen.
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 No. 24 Chevrolet could have pushed Truex harder down the stretch Sunday.
“It would have been great to battle with Martin a little bit more,” Elliott said. “We didn’t have anything for him. From where we’ve been to where we ran today was a major, major step in the right direction”