Chase Elliott keeping things in perspective, having a little more fun along the way
By Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports NASCAR Writer
Chase Elliott did not have the success on the track this year that he had last season. But he might have had as much, if not more, fun.
Many equate winning with fun, so it would be easy to dismiss such thinking. But anyone who watched Elliott throughout this season could see that he was more relaxed and at ease, even though he had fewer wins (two rather than five) and finished worse in the standings (fourth rather than first).
Even amid the dustups with Kevin Harvick — when he was furious — Elliott had a confidence and an air of not seeming to dread the moments of talking about it. Of course, when he got the last laugh, he delivered the "merry offseason and happy Christmas" line that will go down in the lore of 2021.
It would make sense if winning the 2021 Cup title — shedding any pressure of bearing a famous racing name and needing to produce — were the reason for a more free-spirited Elliott, who just turned 26 last week.
But he wouldn’t pinpoint that as the reason.
"I would like to say so, but I’m not really sure that [the Cup title] has impacted it," Elliott said. "I think it’s more just probably getting older. As each year goes by, you learn new stuff, you see things a little differently or have a little different perspective.
"You apply that to better yourself."
Many drivers gauge their seasons not just on wins but also on the opportunity to compete for the Cup title as one of the four finalists in the championship race. For the second consecutive year, Elliott was able to do that.
"Our season was solid," he said. "I’m really proud of my team just getting to [the title race at] Phoenix and having a shot.
"To me, that is the group that you want to be a part of. ... If you can get yourself in that position, more times than not, your days are going to be there for you eventually."
As part of Elliott having fun, he wore a Fedora-type cowboy hat to the NASCAR Awards Ceremony last week in Nashville.
"I got it at the hat store, and I wore it because I wanted to," he said. "Why not? I was the only one wearing a hat. I thought for sure someone else would have a hat on here, but they didn’t.
"I was the solo guy with the hat. But that’s fine. I like it. It’s a nice, navy hat, and I enjoy it, and that’s all that matters."
Of course, Elliott remains a fan favorite. He was voted the sport’s most popular driver for the fourth consecutive year. It is an award his father, Bill, won 16 times.
"It’s super humbling," Elliott said. "Every year that goes by, we go to a new town or a new place — Road America this year. I think back to that event and that weekend, and all the folks that were there supporting us was unbelievable.
"I’m as guilty as anybody [in that] I don’t often realize just how much an impact you can have or just how much someone is paying attention to what you do."
Elliott is entering a contract year, but Hendrick Motorsports typically tries to work a year ahead, and there is no sense that Elliott is shopping himself around. He has been signed with Hendrick since 2011, when he was 15.
The team recently announced sponsorship of Elliott from Hooters for three races a year through 2024, a sign that he should ink an extension soon, through at least 2024 if not longer.
"That’s the plan," Hendrick said. "We’ve talked about it, and that’s the plan."
"I try to have fun," Elliott said. "I’ve tried to be laid-back and just kind of be myself. Love it or hate it, I am just kind of me, and I’ve tried to do a better job of just enjoying all the moments that come along.
"I recognize that none of this stuff’s forever. I’m in a super, super, super fortunate position to do what I do and travel the country and race cars for a living."
He has used the opportunity the past couple of years to do more racing, experimenting with midget and sprint cars on dirt and making an appearance in a RallyCross race in the days following the NASCAR Awards in Nashville. He knows many people don’t have those opportunities.
"When you sit back and you really look at just the grand scheme of life and what I’m doing and what you could be doing, you just have to put it in perspective at times." Elliott said.
"I’ve tried to really enjoy everything about the job and try to make the most of my time here."
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Thinking out loud
NASCAR’s move of streaming weekly and regional series races to FloRacing is a good one.
When Trackpass started through NBC, it was trying to build a fan base. FloRacing, which televises hundreds of events (including the Chili Bowl and all of Eldora Speedway events), already has a deep, deep fan base. There is also a wide array of sports in the overall FloSports platform, giving FloRacing a significant email list with which to generate subscriptions and promote events.
There is an increased cost for fans who want the NASCAR content, but many of those who watch these series events would likely also pay to watch other races around the country. At this time, it's a good move for NASCAR to expose the regional series to more people.
It will be interesting to see the growth of the Race Team Alliance’s Racing America website. The RTA, the consortium of race teams that tries to leverage the power of the team owners, bought Speed51 more than a year ago, giving it streaming rights to various short-track events.
NASCAR went with FloRacing for its new deal because of the depth it has, but if RTA grows its production capabilities and reach, would the RTA bid on these rights? And would NASCAR want to go into business with the Cup owners?
Social spotlight
Stat of the day
Kyle Larson led 2,581 laps in 2021, the most by a driver since Jeff Gordon led 2,610 in 1995. Hendrick Motorsports led 4,119 laps in 2021, the second-most in the modern era and most since Junior Johnson and Associates in 1972.
They said it
"Writing it was very emotional. When you’re reading the speech on the teleprompter, it’s hard to get that emotion out there." — Kyle Larson on his championship speech
Bob Pockrass has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s. He joined FOX Sports in 2019 following stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @bobpockrass. Looking for more NASCAR content? Sign up for the FOX Sports NASCAR Newsletter with Bob Pockrass!
