Chase Elliott, 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion and seven-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award, embarks on his 10th full-time season at stock car racing’s top level with a mission of securing a second title. The 29-year-old will once again pilot the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 led by veteran crew chief Alan Gustafson. Together, they’ve driven to 19 points-paying victories and are the longest-tenured driver-crew chief pairing in the Cup Series.
A bona fide NASCAR star, Elliott was 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.
Born and raised in Dawsonville, Georgia, a town steeped in racing history, Chase Elliott’s first job was washing dishes in the kitchen of the Dawsonville Pool Room at 13 years old. In the 1980s, owner Gordon Pirkle began sounding a siren in celebration of each Bill Elliott victory. That tradition continues today with Chase.
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, his efforts paid off when 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.
What followed was a rapid rise through super late models and other national touring divisions in preparation for NASCAR. Elliott is a two-time (2013 and 2014) Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Driver of the Year, an annual award voted on by motor sports journalists. In 2013, he became the first driver in history to win all four majors on the super late model circuit: the All-American 400, Winchester 400, World-Crown 300, and Snowball Derby.
At 18, while spending a portion of the year finishing high school, Elliott became the youngest champion in any NASCAR national touring series when he won the 2014 Xfinity Series title driving for Hendrick Motorsports affiliate JR Motorsports. His storybook season included three wins, two poles and 26 top-10 finishes in 33 races. Elliott’s first victory came at Texas Motor Speedway in only his sixth career start, making him the second-youngest winner in series history.
Before his entrance into the Xfinity Series, Elliott broke records driving select NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races in 2013, becoming the youngest winner in series history in only his sixth start. That came after a strong season of firsts in the ARCA Menards Series East the year prior. In 2012, he captured his first career NASCAR touring series when he took the checkered flag in the ARCA Menards Series combination event at Iowa Speedway. Elliott followed that performance by becoming the series’ youngest pole winner when he took the top qualifying spot at Langley Speedway. After the season, he was chosen by fans as the ARCA Menards Series East’s most popular driver.
In January 2015, it was announced Elliott would join the NASCAR Cup Series in 2016. In preparation, he drove five points-paying Cup races for Hendrick Motorsports in 2015 while competing in a second full season for JR Motorsports. Elliott led the Xfinity Series in top-10 finishes en route to a second-place result in the championship standings and won his second consecutive Most Popular Driver Award in the series.
Elliott started his full-time Cup Series career with a bang in 2016, becoming the youngest DAYTONA 500 pole winner of all time at 20 years, 2 months and 17 days. The Elliotts became the fourth father-son duo to win the DAYTONA 500 pole, following the Petty, Allison and Earnhardt combinations. Paired with Gustafson, Elliott went on to have the best rookie season in more than a decade, earning 10 top-five finishes – the most by a rookie since 2005 – along with 17 top 10s and two poles. Driving the iconic No. 24 Chevrolet, the 2016 Cup Series Rookie of the Year secured a spot in the playoffs and became the only rookie ever to advance to the Round of 12.
Elliott started his sophomore season in 2017 by earning his second straight DAYTONA 500 pole. He collected five second-place finishes and clinched another spot in the Cup Series playoffs where he advanced to the Round of 8. Elliott amassed 12 top-five finishes and 21 top 10s, ultimately finishing fifth in the standings. In June 2017, Hendrick Motorsports and Elliott inked a four-year contract extension through 2022 and two months later announced that beginning in 2018 he would drive the storied No. 9 – a number synonymous with his legendary racing family.
2018 was a breakout season for the driver of the No. 9. The biggest moment came in his first career Cup Series victory at Watkins Glen International. He collected two more wins and accumulated 11 top-five finishes and 21 top 10s. Elliott finished the season sixth in the standings and was voted by fans as the Cup Series NMPA Most Popular Driver Award winner for the first time.
In 2019, Elliott built on the momentum from the previous season. The driver of the No. 9 earned his first win in April at Talladega Superspeedway – his first career Cup Series superspeedway victory. He also proved his road course prowess with his second consecutive Watkins Glen victory and a dramatic win at the Charlotte ROVAL. Elliott wrapped up the year with 11 top-five finishes, 15 top 10s and a career-high in pole awards (four). He closed out the season 10th in the standings and was honored as the most popular driver for the second consecutive year.
2020 proved to be one for the record books as Elliott and the No. 9 team navigated the season with poise and determination. Following a Round-of-12 victory at the Charlotte ROVAL, Elliott secured his place in the Championship 4 with a dominating win in the season’s penultimate race at Martinsville Speedway. He outdueled three of the best drivers in stock-car racing in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway to earn his first Cup Series championship, becoming the third-youngest driver in history to accomplish the feat. Elliott wrapped his championship-winning season with career highs in wins (five), top-five finishes (15), top 10s (22) and laps led (1,247). He also picked up a $1 million bonus with a thrilling victory in the NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway and was once again named most popular driver.
The 2021 season nearly ended with back-to-back championships for Elliott and the No. 9 team. The driver’s two regular season victories solidified his spot in the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. After a solid performance landed the team in the Championship 4 again, Elliott ultimately finished fourth in the standings. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet ended the year with two wins, 15 top-five finishes and 21 top 10s, with 952 laps led. It was his fourth straight season earning multiple victories, and his average finish of 11.4 was a career-best in the Cup Series. Capping off a successful 2021, Elliott earned NMPA Most Popular Driver Award honors for the fourth consecutive season.
Before the start of the 2022 season, Elliott signed a five-year extension with the organization. The No. 9 team set the pace in the first year of the Gen-7 car with a series-high five victories. The Hendrick Motorsports driver also earned his first Cup Series regular-season championship, which helped catapult him to the top seed to start the 10-race playoffs. Elliott advanced to the Championship 4 for the third consecutive year, ultimately placing fourth in the season standings. Accompanying Elliott’s five wins were 12 top-five finishes, 20 top- 10s and 857 laps led. He led the series with an average finish of 12.5. The Georgia native brought home his fifth most popular driver award at the season-ending banquet in Nashville, Tennessee.
The 2023 season was one full of adversity for Elliott and the No. 9 team. After finishing second at Auto Club Speedway, the Georgia native missed several races when injuring his leg in a snowboarding incident. Upon his return, he made up ground on his competitors and nearly qualified for the playoffs, coming up just short. Elliott ended the season with seven top-five finishes, 15 top 10s and an average finish of 13.1. Key milestones on the year included surpassing 5,000 laps led in his Cup career and surpassing 1,000 laps led at Martinsville, his most at a single track. Elliott wrapped up the year with a sixth consecutive NMPA Most Popular Driver Award and he was also named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in its 75th season.
Things got back on track for Elliott and the team in 2024. The driver of the No. 9 ended a 42-race winless streak, capturing an overtime victory at Texas Motor Speedway in April – his first at the 1.5-mile track in the Cup Series. The win was part of a 19-race top-20 streak by he and the No. 9 team. Elliott continued to be fast throughout the remainder of the regular season and secured a position in the 10-race playoffs. He advanced to the Round of 8 and came up just short of the Championship 4. Elliott ended the season seventh in the standings, with one win, 11 top-five finishes and 19 top 10s. His average finish of 11.7 was best in the Cup Series field. The 29-year-old driver capped off the year with his seventh consecutive NMPA Most Popular Driver Award.
In addition to his racing endeavors, Elliott is an established philanthropist. He launched the non-profit Chase Elliott Foundation in March 2017, which provides support and financial assistance to well-qualified charitable organizations with an emphasis on helping others live healthier, happier lives. The foundation works closely with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta on various initiatives.
Elliott resides in his hometown of Dawsonville and in his downtime enjoys spending time on the lake, snowboarding, mountain biking, gaming, country music and pulling for the Atlanta Braves and Georgia Bulldogs. He is a multi-engine instrument-rated private pilot.
