CONCORD, N.C.— Welcome to a new edition of #HendrickSummer. This week, we focus on the outdoors, games and summertime tracks.
And with the second off-weekend of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and Father’s Day this weekend, Hendrick Motorsports drivers are bound to take a break from the fast-paced campaign.
But drivers are not the only ones taking advantage of the off-weekend.
Meet Chais Eliason. Eliason is one of three race engineers on the No. 48 team and this weekend, he has summertime on his mind.
“I really enjoy the summer stretch in our schedule,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being outside as much as I can.”
Camping and Family
The engineer, who works close with Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, where being outdoors every weekend was the norm. And racing was part of his life.
“My family grew up racing since the 1950s and I was always around the dirt track,” Eliason said. “Then I raced dirt modifieds for two years and it’s just kind of always been in my blood since.”
This weekend, without any racing obligations, Eliason plans to do his favorite summertime activity:
Camping.
“I grew up camping my entire life,” he said. “We would pack up the camper and camp every weekend in the summer. One of my favorite things is sitting around the campfire and talking, being with family, roasting s’mores -- especially on a Minnesota or Wisconsin night when it’s 60 or 70 degrees. The campfire feels awesome.”
It’s safe to say Eliason will be seen sitting by a campfire with his family for Father’s Day, roasting s’mores and playing…hammerschlagen.
Tree Logs, Nails and Hammers
Yes, that’s right. Hammerschlagen.
Hammerschlagen is an entertaining German-inspired “nail game” involving one tree log, hammers, nails and a group of people surrounding the log. The concept is to hit the nail with the hammer downward into the stump once a turn before passing the hammer to the next player. The hammer is passed around the stump until a player wins with the head of the nail flat with the wood.
“Whoever gets the nail all the way in the log first wins the game,” Eliason said. “It’s a fun game! We do play it a lot in Minnesota.”
‘I don’t have a lot of down time, but I love my job.’
This weekend is the second of three off-weekends in the schedule, and the next one doesn’t arrive until August.
Despite traveling and the long hours at the racetracks, Eliason is looking forward to working during the hot summer season because of what the No. 48 team can accomplish.
“The tracks get a lot slicker and the cars move a lot more,” Eliason said. “I think that is when Jimmie Johnson really excels.”
All-in-all, Eliason believes he’s in the right place and time in his life.
“I don’t have a lot of down time, but I love my job,” he said. “Hendrick Motorsports was always kind of the place I have always wanted to be.”
Team Store Summer Discounts
In this week’s #HendrickSummer guide, you can receive a special discount on all Jimmie Johnson No. 48 official Lowes’s team hats in both the team store and the online store. To receive 10 percent off your hat, use the code HENDRICKSUMMER at checkout.
Make sure to look for next week’s edition of #HendrickSummer for new stories and a brand new discount. And don’t forget to use the hashtag #HendrickSummer to share with us your favorite summer tailgating games, recipes and outdoor activities.