Chase Elliott, 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion and eight-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award, embarks on his 11th full-time season at stock car racing’s top level with a mission of securing a second title behind the wheel of the No. 9 Chevrolet. Once again paired with veteran crew chief Alan Gustafson, the duo has earned 21 points-paying victories and is the longest-tenured driver-crew chief pairing in the Cup Series garage.
One of NASCAR’s biggest stars, Elliott was previously voted by fans as ESPN The Magazine’s "NEXT" racer, appeared as a guest on MTV’s "Ridiculousness," voiced characters in Disney Pixar’s "Cars 3" and Nickelodeon’s "Blaze and the Monster Machines," and has been featured by Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Forbes and GQ among others.
Elliott follows in the footsteps of his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer and 1988 NASCAR Cup Series champion Bill Elliott, in possessing a natural ability behind the wheel, a tireless work ethic and a strong connection with his fans. Bill and Chase are the fifth father-son duo to win NASCAR national series championships – an exclusive list that includes NASCAR’s most iconic names: Petty, Earnhardt, Jarrett and Pearson.
He began racing go-karts at 8 years old with dreams of competing at NASCAR’s highest level. From 2003 to 2011, he gained experience competing in various series, winning more than 60 races by age 15. In February 2011, he received a phone call from NASCAR Hall of Fame car owner Rick Hendrick, who offered the high school freshman a contract with his championship-winning organization, Hendrick Motorsports.
What followed was a rapid rise through super late models and other national touring divisions. In 2012, he captured his first career NASCAR touring series win in an ARCA Menards Series event and became the series’ youngest pole winner that same season. Elliott ended that year by earning ARCA Menards Series East’s most popular driver honors. In 2013, he became the first driver in history to win all four majors on the super late model circuit: the All-American 400, Winchester 400, World-Crown 300 and Snowball Derby. Elliott also drove select NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races that same year, becoming the youngest winner in series history in only his sixth start.
From there, Elliott made the move to the NASCAR Xfinity Series driving for Hendrick Motorsports affiliate JR Motorsports. At 18, while spending a portion of the year finishing high school, he became the youngest champion in any NASCAR national touring series when he won the 2014 Xfinity Series title. His season included three wins, two poles and 26 top-10 finishes in 33 races. Elliott’s first victory came at Texas Motor Speedway in only his sixth start, making him the second-youngest winner in series history at the time.
In January 2015, it was announced Elliott would join the NASCAR Cup Series in 2016. In preparation, he drove five Cup races for Hendrick Motorsports in 2015 while still competing full-time for JR Motorsports for a second year. He won most popular driver honors both years he competed in the Xfinity Series.
Elliott started his full-time Cup Series career with a bang in 2016, becoming the youngest DAYTONA 500 pole winner of all time. The Elliotts became the fourth father-son duo to win the DAYTONA 500 pole, following the Petty, Allison and Earnhardt combinations. Paired with Gustafson, Elliott went on to have the best rookie season in more than a decade, earning 10 top-five finishes – the most by a rookie since 2005 – along with 17 top 10s and two poles. The 2016 Cup Series Rookie of the Year secured a spot in the playoffs and became the only rookie ever to advance to the Round of 12.
Elliott’s success continued from there, as he earned his second DAYTONA 500 Pole in 2017. He broke through for his first career win in 2018 (Watkins Glen International) and won his first of eight NASCAR Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Awards that same year. Following his first Cup Series championship in 2020, he remained a title contender, reaching the Championship 4 in 2021 and again 2022 after winning the regular season championship.
Through 2025, Elliott has 21 points-paying victories, an All-Star Race win (2020), pre-season Clash triumph (2025), 115 top-five finishes and 190 top 10s. Elliott is a two-time (2013 and 2014) Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Driver of the Year, an award voted on by motor sports journalists. He was named to NASCAR’s list of 75 Greatest Drivers in 2024.
In addition to his racing endeavors, Elliott launched the non-profit Chase Elliott Foundation in March 2017, which provides support and financial assistance to well-qualified charitable organizations with an emphasis on helping others live healthier, happier lives. The foundation works closely with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta on various initiatives.
Elliott resides in his hometown of Dawsonville, Georgia, and in his downtime enjoys spending time on the lake, snowboarding, mountain biking, gaming, country music and pulling for the Atlanta Braves and Georgia Bulldogs. He is a multi-engine instrument-rated private pilot.
