Chase Elliott is justifiably known for his communication skills — both on and off the track. On the track, his clear and concise communications with crew chief Alan Gustafson have often helped put the #9 team at an advantage. Off it, his active interactions with fans on social media have made him one of the most popular drivers around. While Chase is happy to talk about anything NASCAR, there is one topic he hasn’t touched upon so far — retirement.
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This is hardly surprising since he has been in NASCAR for only 10 years — about half the racing lifespan of the average NASCAR driver. However, he recently chose to share his views on the matter.
Ahead of the 2025 season’s first race at Daytona, when asked about his post-retirement plans, Elliott said it is a “hard thing” to think of at the moment and preferred to cross that particular bridge when he gets there.
“I don’t know what I would want to do. It’s a hard thing to — It’s kind of one of those things,” said Elliott.
“I’ve watched other guys leave and come back. I’ve kind of seen it all, I guess, depending upon who it is. But I think those feelings, those emotions, that timing or whatever’s next — you have to kind of assess those things when that time comes,” he elaborated.
The #9 Hendrick Motorsports driver touched upon how much his life had changed since he entered the sport a decade ago as a 20-year-old. He believes that much will change in the coming years too as he ages. Perspectives may shift, and interests could evolve. That’s why he would prefer to confront big decisions like retirement at the appropriate time.
But for now, he has no intentions of calling it a day. “I don’t want to go anywhere yet, so I hope I can stick around for a few more years.” Understandably so.
Elliott has achieved a lot of success in his career, including securing a Cup championship (in 2020), 19 wins across 322 starts, and finishing 171 races in the top 10.
His consistent performance on the track has nonetheless highlighted his potential. He topped the series in 2024 with the best average finish overall. Last season, despite winning only one race, Elliott managed to secure a seventh-place finish in the driver standings.
In fact, since his full-time entry into the NASCAR Cup series in 2016, Elliott has displayed unmatched consistency, finishing in the top 10 in all seasons except for 2023, when he was sidelined for seven races. But there is some silverware missing from his trophy cupboard. He has yet to log wins at events like the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600, and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
That’s probably why retirement thoughts are far away from his mind right now. But he is happy that someone else is enjoying his well-earned retirement: his father Bill Elliott.
Junior Elliott approves of Dad’s retirement phase
As Bill enjoys his well-earned retirement, away from the race track, Chase seems genuinely content with his father’s new phase in life.
“(He is) taking some time to himself. Doing the things he wants to do. I think he has earned that… He doesn’t come to as many races as he probably did early on in my career,” remarked Chase in an interview last year.
Like I tell a lot of people, he has been running the circle for a long time. So, at this point, it’s totally like, ‘Man, I get it. Enjoy being home and enjoy retirement. You’ve had a wonderful career.’ I think, at this point, he is finally doing that,” he added.
While his father may no longer be a fixture at the track, the junior Elliott has ensured that the family’s racing heritage continues. His performances on the track and his charm off the track have earned him the Most Popular Driver Award seven times, placing him just behind his father and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the tally.
