Chase Elliot – The Story is Just Getting Started
By: NASCAR Wagers, NASCAR Handicapping Service
This weekend Kevin Harvick became the first repeat winner in the Sprint Cup Series by capturing his first career victory at Darlington Raceway. However the biggest story of the weekend was not about Harvick or any other Sprint Cup driver for that matter. The biggest moment of the weekend had already occurred on Friday night when Chase Elliot stormed from 6th place to the win in the final two laps of the VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200.
The 18 year old rookie had already earned his first Nationwide Series victory the week before in impressive fashion by outdueling Kevin Harvick in the final laps at Texas Motor Speedway. On Friday, Elliot did it again amongst some of the best drivers in the sport by passing the likes of Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Elliot Sadler on the final restart. The son of NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliot not only became the youngest Darlington winner in any NASCAR series but the youngster has sent shockwaves throughout the sports world that is simply too hard to ignore.
This was not just another impressive young driver making a name for himself. After all, the Nationwide Series is the stepping stone to NASCAR’s premier Sprint Cup Series and where many young drivers earn their stripes. Still, this was different. This was not lightening in a bottle. This was not just the son of Bill Elliot and direct bloodline to the roots of NASCAR racing. This was something special. The kid had not only just beaten the top drivers in the sport but Elliot had just won at Darlington Raceway. A track nicknamed ‘The Lady in Black’ and ‘The Track Too Tough To Tame.” This was Darlington and rookies are not suppose to do that.
In sports, we are fascinated and often inspired by young talent. Just over the weekend, the mere possibility of 20 year old Jordan Spieth replacing Tiger Woods as the youngest winner of The Masters was enough to get people to turn on the TV and take notice. Still what happened nearly 100 miles to the east of Augusta on Friday night was far more defining than what Spieth or any other athlete could have pulled off. For NASCAR, the sport had just got a glimpse of what the next 10 plus years has in store.
For those that already knew Elliot, it was just confirmation. Chase has been winning long before these last few weeks in the Nationwide Series. Elliot has won in every seat he has been in since a very young age. This is the same kid that won the Winchester 400 at 14 years old and became the youngest winner of the Snowball Derby at 16. Something tells me that there are a lot of dirt track and late model guys around the country saying “I told you so” this week. In fact, Elliot has been so impressive it has many people wondering how long Dale Earnhardt Jr can keep him in a Nationwide Series racecar. Our guess is that he will replace Kasey Kahne in the #5 car next year at Hendrick Motorsports and bring NAPA back to the Sprint Cup Series as the primary sponsor.
Of course there is a lot of racing left before any of those decisions will be announced, but rest assure the talks behind the scenes have already begun. For the fans, the best news is that this is just the beginning. Chase Elliot’s career is just getting started. In sports, we love to experience greatness and live in the moment of a champion. However, the magnitude of greatness is not always apparent. Sometimes we do not realize the accomplishments an athlete has achieved until we look back. For Chase Elliot, you do not have to look back but rather just open your eyes. Greatness is here and this story is just getting started.