DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — If there was one thing most striking about Chase Elliott at NASCAR media day Tuesday — more than his youth, his resemblance to his legendary father or the swarm of reporters surrounding the 20-year-old rookie — it was how refined he seemed.
Primed to replace the extremely popular Jeff Gordon in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet and blessed to be the offspring of Bill Elliott, one of the most popular drivers of all time, Elliott comes with a ready-made set of fans — and challenges. Yet despite winning the pole for Sunday’s Daytona 500 just two days earlier, Elliott barely cracked a smile.
“It’s more for the guys (in the garage) to celebrate than me,” Elliott said. “There’s nothing special I did to make that happen. It’s about those guys and the engine shop and the car, and the engine they put in that thing. For me, the race is the important thing. That’s the starting point, but it’s not about where you start, it’s where you finish.
“You need to be asking those guys about the pole because they deserve it, not me.”
It was the right thing to say and probably accurate, too, but something seems wrong about a kid who can’t legally drink taking a thing like posting the best qualifying time for America’s biggest race in such stride.
If anyone can understand what Elliott’s going through, it’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. Another son of another of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, Earnhardt has lived through his share of hoopla.
“You’re always embarrassed by the attention because you don’t feel like it’s really deserved,” Earnhardt said. “You haven’t done anything yet, in your mind. You see the level of attention drivers get when you’re growing up as a young kid, and you see what they do to get that attention, and then you come in and you just feel like it’s more than you deserve.”
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Thumbnail photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images
