With NASCAR headed to Bristol this Saturday night for the annual Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race (6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN), there are only three weeks left before the 10-week playoffs begin.
Third-year star Chase Elliott officially punched his ticket two weeks ago with his first career victory at Watkins Glen International, outlasting Martin Truex Jr. in the final lap to take home the checkered flag. Elliott, the son of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott, has long been tabbed as one of the sport’s up-and-coming stars, but since joining the Monster Energy Cup Series in 2016, he always seemed to come up just a bit short of victory lane.
Elliott racked up eight runner-up finishes over his first three seasons in the Cup series before finally picking up his elusive first win with Hendrick Motorsports, sending the No. 9 car back to Victory Lane. We spoke with Chase last week, prior to him backing up that win with a ninth-place finish at Michigan, about the experience of winning, the emotions of having his dad there with him, what he’s learned in his young career, and what needs to happen to build off the win as the playoffs near.
What have the last few days been like for you since taking home that first win?
It’s been a lotta fun. Just enjoying it, man. It’s been a great couple days and just letting it soak in.
You had a bit of a rare opportunity on that last lap once [Martin] Truex Jr. ran out of gas to know the win would be yours a little early, what were the last moments of that lap like, being able to soak that in?
Yeah, well it’s not ever over till it’s over [laughs]. Just trying to get back around there and not make anymore mistakes was the big thing, but just enjoy it and letting it all soak in. It’s something I’ll never forget and just file that away.
I’m sure it’s something you’ve dreamt about for a long time, how did Victory Lane in the Cup series match up to your expectations?
Oh, it was incredible, man. Everything you could ever dream of it being for sure, so had a lot of time to think about it. The last few years I’ve been oh so close, and those days of going home and being close and being disappointed made this past weekend that much more special at the end of the day. It was very satisfying and a big relief to get it done.
You talk about being close, and you’ve had eight runner-up finishes, a bunch of top 5s prior to this. What did those experiences teach you about the difficulty of closing races?
Yeah, for sure. It’s definitely not an easy thing to do. It’s a tough sport, and the guys that win at this deal consistently are really good at what they do. It’s a lot of fun. I enjoy the challenge, and I have had a pretty good time throughout the course of my career and trying to learn the ins and outs and trying to do better. So, just enjoy it.
You mentioned after the race you’ve learned a lot about yourself and about racing over the last couple of years. Can you point to anything specifically you’ve really learned about or grown in as a driver?
Man I think there’s just too many things to pick out. I feel like I’ve learned a lot in general, about myself. I feel like I’ve become a better race car driver over the course of my time here. When you race against guys as good at what they do as these guys that compete in this series, it makes you better. So I’ve been enjoying that.
At Hendrick specifically you’re teammates with a lot of those guys that have had great success at the highest levels and seen droughts and gone through things that you’ve gone through early in your career. What are the things that you’ve been able to pick up from those guys, like Dale Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, who pushed you to Victory Lane after you ran out of gas, what are the things you’ve picked up from them in the garage?
Yeah that was such a cool moment. I think just trusting in yourself and the process of how you go about things. I think that’s one thing that’s really cool about my team in specific is we haven’t really changed how we do things since I got here. Our procedures and how we go about a week are the same today as they were in 2016. So, just knowing the way we go about things is good enough to win and compete with those guys is satisfying, and makes you believe in it even more.
You got to share that moment in Victory Lane with your dad [NASCAR legend Bill Elliott]. Obviously there have been a lot of people that have pointed out the similarities in the starts of your career. Both of y’all getting your first win at a road course after eight runner-up finishes. What was it like getting to share that experience with him and what are the things he’s been telling you about coming up through the Cup series over the past few years?
Yeah, it was just a great moment to enjoy with him and one that I think he and I have been hoping we could share together for a couple years now. Just exciting and glad he was there for it and those are moments that aren’t going to always be there, so you gotta appreciate them when they are and I’m glad I could say we can enjoy a win.
Finally, you’ve got a playoff spot locked up now. What do you have to do to build off this win and close this season out strong?
Well I think just keep running well and keep bringing fast cars to the race track. That’s huge, and it makes things a lot easier when that’s the case. That’s the goal, keep running up front and keep winning stages and another race win would be great. Just trying to do that and do it consistently is the ultimate goal, and if you can do that then you’re opening up the door to all kinds of things.
