Chase Elliott’s dad, Bill Elliott, won the 1988 championship and numerous victories in the Cup Series during his prime. However, Bill’s success didn’t just come from his driving alone, his legendary engine builder brother, Ernie Elliott, had a major contribution to the Dawsonville native’s career as well.
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Just last weekend, Ernie was honored with the prestigious Smokey Yunick Award, which celebrates his lifetime achievements within the sport. The award was presented by none other than Ernie’s nephew, Chase Elliott.
Despite Ernie’s absence at the ceremony, Chase delivered a heartfelt speech before accepting the award on his behalf, highlighting Ernie’s contributions to the sport and his impact on the Elliott family’s success in racing.
Chase Elliott honors uncle Ernie Elliott
During the speech, Chase mentioned, “This is, to me, a very deserving award. I’ve seen and talked to Uncle Ernie quite a lot and he, he’s always a good, just a good person to talk to. Post-race he’s, you know, he pays a lot of attention and doesn’t like to admit that he pays a lot of attention, but he does.”
The 2020 Cup Series champion added, “He’s been a great supporter of mine over the years. I have a ton of respect for him. Just the innovation that he brought at the time period that he did, he was so far ahead of the curve in so many different ways.”
“He was not only building engines but working on the cars… Back then it wasn’t like they had engineering and software to go through these things. A lot of it was trial and error and you just had to have some of these things science out and do it on your own. And he just kind of did it his way.”
Later on, Chase mentioned how his uncle used to be and still remains a smart man. Adding that the HMS driver has had a lot to learn from his uncle over the years.
How many wins and championships did Ernie Elliott contribute to?
There’s a reason why Ernie is regarded as a legendary figure within the NASCAR community. Over the years as an engine builder and a crew chief, he was responsible for winning 40 Cup Series races as well as 148 top-fives and 291 top-10s.
Ernie’s interest in racing developed from a young age while visiting the racetrack with his father, George Elliott. However, instead of driving the cars, Ernie was more interested in the engineering aspect of things. Over the years, his expertise developed and he produced brilliant race cars that would go on to clench the checkered flag often.
Back in 1985, he even received the Engine Builder of the Year award for his hard work. Subsequently, he also was awarded the Engine Builder of the Decade for the 80s. Hence, after all his contributions and innovations, it makes sense for NASCAR to finally honor him with the 2023 Smokey Yunick Award.
