CONCORD, N.C. – The NASCAR offseason is one of the shortest in sports.
The Daytona 500 is a little more than two months away, and the race teams are already hard at work preparing for the 2017 season-opener.
But there’s still some room for rest and relaxation in the meantime.
“I’m definitely going to enjoy some downtime,” Chase Elliott said. “I enjoy the offseason, I think, as much as anybody else does. We obviously have a long season, so I’m excited for some time away.”
Seven-time champion crew chief Chad Knaus agreed, noting that he and his wife plan to “get away and relax.”
“We’re going to take a trip, my wife and I, and we’re looking forward to that,” he said. “It’s some place outside the states at some point, I can tell you that. We’re definitely going to go do some snowboarding.”
That’s an idea Elliott can get on board with, as he noted that he planned to snowboard out in Colorado as well.
For Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, the time off is all about family.
“I’m excited about some time with my family and the grandkids around Christmas,” he said. “That’s a special time of year for us, so I’m looking forward to Linda and I being able to have time with family.”
And when the holidays wrap up and the new year arrives, Elliott’s focus will be on another strong run in 2017.
“I’ll be ready once it comes back around, which won’t be long – just a few weeks,” the 2016 Rookie of the Year said. “We’ll be ready to rock and roll.”