Chase Elliott not being able to compete in this year’s NASCAR Cup championship is a big blow for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. It doesn’t take a lot of science to speculate that Elliott not being in the playoffs or competing for the prize in Phoenix will surely hurt his brand value, his popularity, and as a result of all of that, maybe his pocket.
Advertisement
But Elliott is still competing in the owner’s championship. He can still, technically, win a championship, which is, in many ways, far more fruitful for the organization than the driver’s title. So surely if Elliott brings Mr. H the championship at the end of the season, he would be rewarded, right?
Well, the #9 driver doesn’t know, and perhaps he doesn’t really care for a good reason. He trusts his boss enough when it comes to being treated fairly.
Chase Elliott isn’t worried about rewards if he wins the owner’s title, but has hopes
During a recent interview, Elliott touched upon the subject of what he will receive from Rick Hendrick if he ends up winning the owner’s title. “We haven’t talked about it, but certainly with the precedent that was set last year, I would have to imagine there is experience in going through a situation like this,” Elliott said.
“We haven’t discussed it. It’s not a concern of mine and the reason is that Rick has always been extremely fair to me. He’s always treated me with a lot of respect as it pertains to HMS or beyond.”
Elliott added that he is not worried because doing business with someone like Mr. H isn’t something that causes concern in his mind. With that said, he did admit that if it works out, if he wins the championship, he will be “treated fairly.”
Elliott was taken aback by competing for the owner’s championship
While it may not be as glamorous or as front and center as the driver’s title, the owner’s championship in NASCAR is still important nevertheless. And for Elliott, who is now competing for the title, it was a surprising experience. “Obviously there’s a lot of talk about the driver side, there’s not really a lot of talk about the owners front,” he said.
“I don’t really feel any different than I felt in years past. So it still keeps us very motivated and keeps me motivated, to want to go and do a good job.”
Elliott emphasized that nothing really feels different, which is something that he finds odd.
