Chase Elliott, 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion and eight-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award, embarks on his 11th full-time season at stock car racing’s top level with a mission of securing a second title behind the wheel of the No. 9 Chevrolet. Once again paired with veteran crew chief Alan Gustafson, the duo has earned 21 points-paying victories and is the longest-tenured driver-crew chief pairing in the Cup Series garage.
One of NASCAR’s biggest stars, Elliott was previously voted by fans as ESPN The Magazine’s “NEXT” racer, appeared as a guest on MTV’s “Ridiculousness,” voiced characters in Disney Pixar’s “Cars 3” and Nickelodeon’s “Blaze and the Monster Machines,” and has been featured by Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Forbes and GQ among others.
Elliott follows in the footsteps of his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer and 1988 NASCAR Cup Series champion Bill Elliott, in possessing a natural ability behind the wheel, a tireless work ethic and a strong connection with his fans. Bill and Chase are the fifth father-son duo to win NASCAR national series championships – an exclusive list that includes NASCAR’s most iconic names: Petty, Earnhardt, Jarrett and Pearson.
He began racing go-karts at 8 years old with dreams of competing at NASCAR’s highest level. From 2003 to 2011, he gained experience competing in various series, winning more than 60 races by age 15. In February 2011, he received a phone call from NASCAR Hall of Fame car owner Rick Hendrick, who offered the high school freshman a contract with his championship-winning organization, Hendrick Motorsports.