Being the son of a yesteryear racing superstar and still making a name for yourself can be a pretty daunting task in the NASCAR Cup Series. Chase Elliott faced an uphill climb when he picked motorsports as his professional route. His father Bill Elliott was a driver loved by the masses and celebrated like there was no tomorrow in the 1980s and early 1990s.
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Like a hot knife through butter, Chase managed the expectations and has emerged as one of the top stars of the sport in the current generation. In a recent interview with Lindsay Czarniak, he credited his parents for giving him the space and the freedom to make his own career choices.
He said, “The way they kind of brought me up and allowed me to live my life and to do the things that I wanted to do, it was always my choice. Racing was always my choice. If I went home, whether I was 10th, 15th, or 20th, if I went home and said, ‘Hey, mom and dad. I don’t want to do this anymore,’ it would have been totally fine. They always made that really apparent to me.”
The awareness that he was going down a path that he had set for himself helped him a lot in not looking at what his father had achieved and comparing his work to it. However, he clarified that he personally wants to be as great as his old man was. Safe to say, he is getting there pretty quickly.
How involved is Bill Elliott in his son’s career today?
Bill Elliott is 69 years old now. He is living the dream of every race car driver, being the NASCAR legend he is and the father of a Cup Series champion. Back in the day, he used to be very interested in watching his son race and leave competitors in the dust. However, he has reduced his track visits in recent years.
Chase explained why last year, “He doesn’t come to as many races as he probably did early on in my career. Like I tell a lot of people, he has been running the circles for a long time. So, at this point, it’s totally like, ‘Man, I get it. Enjoy being home and enjoying retirement. You’ve had a wonderful career.’ I think, at this point, he is finally doing that.”
With a son like Chase to carry the name of the family to great heights, Bill can rest easy at home. The 2020 Cup Series champion will next race at Richmond Raceway this Saturday.
