Chase Elliott was 6 years old, sitting on the No. 9 pit box at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when his father Bill Elliott won the 2002 Brickyard 400. That victory, while momentous for Bill Elliott, was equally life-changing for his son, and Chase Elliott’s heart was set on a career in racing from that moment forward.
The youngster spent as much time as he could in the garage with his father, while his mother Cindy continued to show her son other sports like golf and tennis. But as time passed, Chase Elliott’s passion for racing only grew stronger, particularly after he had the opportunity to meet and observe drivers like Tony Stewart and current teammates Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne.
This 2012 season, Elliott will compete fulltime for the second straight season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, this time with crew chief Lance McGrew at the helm.
Growing up in Dawsonville, Ga., Elliott worked his way from gokarts all the way up into late models. At just 16 years old, the high school sophomore already has competed against some of the best short-track racers in the nation. He started driving late models nationwide in 2009 and recorded four wins, 13 top-five finishes, 24 top-10s and three pole positions in 31 starts that season.
During the 2010 season, Elliott recorded 42 late model starts, posting 13 victories, 29 top-five finishes, 39 top-10s and six pole awards. That year, Elliott became the youngest driver to win the Blizzard Series at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., the Miller Lite Series at Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway and the overall Sunoco Gulf Coast championships. The Dawsonville, Ga., native also scored victories in the prestigious Winchester 400 and at the re-opening of historic North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway.
Elliott opened the 2011 season by signing a multi-year agreement with Hendrick Motorsports. With support from the 10-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship powerhouse, Elliott entered the 2011 season with optimism, driving for his family-owned team Bill Elliott Racing.
As the youngest driver to race in the 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season, Elliott earned three top-five finishes and six top-10s in 12 starts and was honored at the conclusion of his rookie season after fans voted a record number of times to name him the Most Popular Driver in the K&N Pro Series East. Being a fan-favorite was also something his father exceled in, as Bill Elliott was awarded the honor a record 16 times on the Sprint Cup level.
Chase Elliott closed his 2011 NASCAR season by competing in the K&N Pro Series West. At Phoenix International Raceway in November, he earned a third-place finish, which matched his best regional result to date.
In addition to his driving duties in the NASCAR regional touring series events in 2011, Elliott also drove his No. 9 Chevrolet in 24 late model races and was crowned the Champion Racing Association National Super Late Model champion in November. He finished the year with eight wins including the prestigious Snowball Derby in Pensacola, Fla., where he bested Cup-level talent to become the youngest winner in the event’s history. Elliott also tallied 24 top-five finishes and 26 top-10s in 2011.
Winning Most Popular Driver wasn’t the only compliment the Dawsonville, Ga., native received in 2011. In April, he was recognized as Sports Illustrated’s High School Player of the Week. In December, Elliott was voted by fans as ESPN Magazine’s “NEXT” racer, which highlighted up-and-coming young athletes that ESPN considers on the cusp of stardom.
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