Chase Elliott

Chase Elliott Bio

William Clyde “Chase” Elliott II, born on November 28, 1995, in Dawsonville, Georgia, is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports with crew chief Alan Gustafson. Elliott is the son of Bill Elliott, the 1988 Winston Cup Series champion and 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, making them one of several notable father-son duos in NASCAR history. In 2020, he captured the NASCAR Cup Series championship and the Daytona 500, establishing himself as one of the sport’s leading competitors of his generation.

Early Life and Background

Chase Elliott was born and raised in Dawsonville, Georgia, a small town with deep roots in American stock car racing. His father, Bill Elliott, is one of the most respected figures in NASCAR history, and his mother is Cindy Elliott. Growing up in a household defined by racing, Chase was introduced to motorsports at a very young age. The Elliott family home in Dawsonville became a meeting place for many of the sport’s biggest names, shaping his early understanding of competition and dedication.

Bill Elliott’s legendary career offered his son a front-row education in the demands of professional racing. Chase spent his childhood attending tracks and absorbing lessons about preparation, patience, and perseverance. Before reaching NASCAR’s national series, he built a remarkable résumé in late model racing, becoming one of the most decorated young talents in the discipline. His late model success included prestigious wins at the Snowball Derby, the Winchester 400, the World Crown 300, and the All American 400, giving him a strong technical foundation long before his first national-series start.

Path to NASCAR

Elliott signed a three-year driver development contract with Hendrick Motorsports in February 2012, beginning his formal path to NASCAR’s national series. That same year, he competed in the K&N Pro Series East, finishing ninth in the standings before securing his first career victory at Iowa Speedway. He also gained experience in selected NASCAR K&N Pro Series West events at Phoenix Raceway, posting a third-place finish in 2011 and competitive results in 2012.

In 2013, Elliott moved to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, running nine races for Hendrick Motorsports with trucks prepared by Turner Scott Motorsports. During qualifying at Bristol Motor Speedway, he became the youngest pole-sitter in Truck Series history. Later that season, he won the Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, becoming the youngest winner in the series at seventeen years, nine months, and four days. These performances confirmed his readiness for a full-time national series opportunity in 2014.

Chase Elliott Career

Early Career (2014–2015)

Elliott’s first full-time national series opportunity came in 2014 with JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Driving the No. 9 Chevrolet with NAPA Auto Parts sponsorship, he won at Texas Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway, and Chicagoland Speedway. He clinched the Nationwide Series championship with a 53-point lead over teammate Regan Smith, becoming both the first rookie and the youngest driver ever to win a NASCAR national series championship. He was also named the Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year and the Most Popular Driver.

In 2015, Elliott split time between the Nationwide Series and a partial Sprint Cup Series schedule. He made his Cup debut at Martinsville in the STP 500, completed five Cup races, and competed in the Sprint All-Star Race Showdown. He also recorded his first Cup-level victory lane appearance with a win at Richmond in September, ending a 36-race winless streak. That same year, Hendrick Motorsports announced he would replace Jeff Gordon in the iconic No. 24 starting in 2016.

Nationwide and Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2014–2016)

Elliott’s 2014 Nationwide Series championship remains the defining early achievement of his national-series career. As a teenager, he handled the demands of a full national series schedule with consistency, and his three wins that year demonstrated an ability to close out late-race battles. His championship run set a new standard for young drivers in NASCAR and prepared him for the leap to the Cup Series.

Even after moving to Cup, Elliott continued running part-time in what became the Xfinity Series. In 2016, he won the season-opening PowerShares QQQ 300 at Daytona, an emotional victory that highlighted his road course and superspeedway skills. He also piloted the No. 5 car at Texas during that stretch, maintaining a presence in the series while focusing primarily on his rookie Cup campaign.

NASCAR Cup Series Breakthrough (2016–2018)

Elliott joined the NASCAR Cup Series full-time in 2016, taking over the No. 24 Chevrolet with crew chief Alan Gustafson. He earned the Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year award, qualifying for the Chase for the Championship. He became the youngest Daytona 500 pole-sitter in race history at 20 years old and collected multiple top-five and top-ten finishes, including a career-best second at Michigan. Although he was eliminated in the Round of 12, he finished tenth in the final standings.

In 2018, Hendrick Motorsports switched Elliott to the No. 9, honoring the number his father made famous. After eight career runner-up finishes, he finally broke through for his first Cup victory at Watkins Glen, leading the final 33 laps. The win was also Hendrick Motorsports’ 250th Cup Series victory and made him the youngest driver to win on a road course in the series. He added victories at Dover and Kansas that fall, advancing to the Round of 8 and finishing sixth in points.

Hendrick Motorsports Era (2019–Present)

Elliott’s 2019 campaign included his first road course win at Watkins Glen, plus a dramatic victory at the Charlotte Roval that helped him reach the Round of 8. In 2020, despite late-race misfortunes and heated on-track moments, he won at the Charlotte Roval, Martinsville, and the Season Finale 500 at Phoenix. The Phoenix victory, where he led 153 laps, secured the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship and made him the second-youngest Cup champion in history. He also won the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol, joining his father as only the second father-son duo to win that event.

In 2022, Elliott captured the NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship with one race remaining. He won five races that year, tying his career-best, and finished fourth in the final standings. After missing the playoffs in 2023 due to a fractured tibia sustained in a snowboarding accident, he returned to victory lane in 2024 at Texas, ending a 42-race winless streak. In 2025, he won the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, took the checkered flag at Atlanta, and added a win at Kansas during the playoffs, reaffirming his place among the Cup Series elite.

Driving Style and Strengths

Elliott is widely regarded as one of the strongest road course drivers of his generation, with multiple consecutive wins at Watkins Glen, the Charlotte Roval, and the Daytona road course. His smooth, calculating style suits high-speed ovals and technical circuits alike, and his long-running partnership with crew chief Alan Gustafson has produced consistent late-season playoff pushes. He is known for his patience in traffic, his ability to capitalize on late-race opportunities, and his calm demeanor under championship pressure.

Notable Races and Milestones

His 2020 Cup Series championship, paired with a dramatic 2020 Daytona 500 win, headline his career résumé. The 2020 All-Star Race at Bristol made the Elliotts the second father-son duo to win that exhibition. His maiden Cup victory at Watkins Glen, multiple Roval wins, and a 2022 Regular Season Championship further define his legacy as a driver who thrives in high-stakes moments.

Chase Elliott Career Wins

Chase Elliott has compiled an impressive list of victories across NASCAR’s top three national series, along with select exhibition and late model triumphs. His success has been anchored by dominance on road courses, clutch playoff performances, and a landmark Cup Series championship.

Cup Series Highlights

Elliott has won 20+ NASCAR Cup Series races, including the 2020 Daytona 500, the 2020 Season Finale 500 at Phoenix, multiple road course wins at Watkins Glen, the Charlotte Roval, the Daytona Road Course, and Circuit of the Americas, and signature victories at Dover, Kansas, Talladega, Dover, Atlanta, and Texas. He also won the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol and the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, and he earned the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship.

Other Wins and Performances

In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Elliott scored a memorable victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2013, becoming the youngest winner in series history at the time. He added a Truck Series win at Martinsville in 2017 and another victory at Charlotte in 2020, where he claimed a bounty offered by Kevin Harvick for beating Kyle Busch. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, his 2014 championship and three-race win streak established him as a generational talent before his full-time move to Cup.

Chase Elliott Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Chase Elliott comes from one of the most prominent families in American motorsports. His father, Bill Elliott, is a NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee and the 1988 Winston Cup Series champion, while his mother, Cindy Elliott, raised the family in Dawsonville, Georgia. The Elliotts are recognized alongside the Pettys, the Bakers, the Jarretts, the Allisons, and the Earnhardts as one of NASCAR’s iconic father-son racing families, a tradition Chase has proudly continued.

Personal Life

Elliott is in a long-term relationship with Ashley Anderson, and the couple maintains a relatively private personal life away from the track. He spends much of his time in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area near Hendrick Motorsports’ headquarters, while frequently returning to his roots in Dawsonville. Off the track, he has participated in the 24 Hours of Daytona and has been featured in several NASCAR video game titles, reflecting his broad presence in the motorsports community.

2025 Season Performance

Elliott’s 2025 NASCAR Cup Series campaign opened with a victory at the Cook Out Clash exhibition at Bowman Gray Stadium, signaling strong early momentum. He followed that with a 15th-place finish at the 2025 Daytona 500, then settled into a steady rhythm of consistent top results throughout the regular season. His 20th career Cup Series victory came at Atlanta after a late-race pass on Brad Keselowski, underscoring his continued strength on intermediate tracks.

Entering the playoffs, Elliott added another high-profile win at Kansas, further cementing his standing as a championship threat. The combination of veteran crew chief Alan Gustafson, refreshed sponsorship support, and Elliott’s proven road course and intermediate-track pace has positioned the No. 9 team as a serious contender for another title run. With momentum on his side and consistency returning to his weekly results, Elliott remains one of the most prominent names in the NASCAR Cup Series garage.