At the age of 24 has Chase Elliott gained a couple steps?

Nitro Dude

Nitro Dude

Hauler Driver and Cylinder Head Maintenance
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To answer my own question, I would have to say absolutely. I don't expect everyone to agree with me but I think it is pretty safe to say we may be watching the next Jeff Gordon / Jimmie Johnson. With the popularity of Dale Earnhardt Jr and the driving ability of Jeff and Jimmie I think this young man has become the new face of NASCAR and will carry that title for years to come. I also think this 2020 championship is just the first of many. I am so excited to see what Chase and the rest of the young talent that Rick Hendrick has put together at HMS will do over the next few years.
 
I was laughed at when I said Chase could win in the neighborhood of 70-75 races and 3 or 4 Cups over the course of his career.I’ll stand by that, I think we saw a shift yesterday. It’s his time now. I do expect Busch, Logano and Keselowski to be there every year because they are young enough still as well as Blaney and Byron to eventually join the ranks of championship contenders. I expect Bowman to be solid every year and Truex might win another one one of these years and Denny might close one too. Larson is back and hes a wildcard. Out rookie class was good this year. This is going to be a pretty heavily heavily talented era, but I see Chase leading the way. They know and he know’s how to do it now. I expect them to be in the Final Four most years and 3-5 wins a year for the foreseeable future.
 
With the randomness of the format, I hesitate to make ANY predictions about his championship potential, but I think he has established himself as a consistent winner, and now with enough experience and confidence to be a threat every week and every year. I think there is still some work to be done, but I think we are seeing a resurgent HMS that is bringing win capable cars to the track more and more often, and I hope the four young hungry teammates can get to the point where they all push and motivate each other to outperform their stablemates and the rest of the field. As Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin proved this year though, it isn't enough to be dominant, you have to win at the RIGHT time. Chase was able to do that THIS year. How many times he can do that in the future? I don't even waste any time thinking about it.
 
I think that is a bit over the top optimistically at this point but what the hell. I don't think Chase Elliott wants to be the face of Nascar, it isn't in his DNA, and I don't think it is in his personality to run that many fans off so he doesn't have much of a choice.(see KDB for tips on how to do that) He's all good for Nascar though and he is going to be the most popular driver for years to come. I love to watch him race. Excited to see some of these newer guys catch fire.
Take all of the gizmos away and count bare points and Elliott's performance was pretty decent for the year and he squeaked by Kez for one point. They finished the season strong and have the Cup to prove it. Can't help but be optimistic for the Hendrick bunch next year
r/NASCAR - 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Non-Playoff Point Standings
 
Is it possible? Sure. But the consistency of speed can be turned off like a light switch, ie Kyle Busch 2020 and Jimmie Johnson 2018. He’s fast now, but theres no promise that he’s next season and beyond. The differences in racing packages and even the Gen 7 car are huge variables that the best crew chiefs and shop employees have to overcome. If any bit of that formula is out of balance, theres always another team digging harder to take the spotlight.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
Is it possible? Sure. But the consistency of speed can be turned off like a light switch, ie Kyle Busch 2020 and Jimmie Johnson 2018. He’s fast now, but theres no promise that he’s next season and beyond. The differences in racing packages and even the Gen 7 car are huge variables that the best crew chiefs and shop employees have to overcome. If any bit of that formula is out of balance, theres always another team digging harder to take the spotlight.
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I agree 100%, and I think Chase has one of the best crew chiefs that can adapt pretty quickly to changes and knows what kind of race car his driver likes and is pretty good at giving him a fast race car that handles pretty good right off of the hauler, and I think Chase is pretty good at telling him what it is doing so he can fine tune it during the race. Since the pandemic hit and practice stopped I have noticed the 9 team has excelled and the 88 team has struggled a little at HMS.
 
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Allen has been crew chiefing for almost 20 years and this is his first cup title and he has chiefed for some of the best drivers in the series (KDB, Mark, Jeff) and now Elliott. This race didn't need any decisions except put 4 on when everybody else comes in. When it calls for a gamble or a gutsy call, you won't see Allan Gustafson doing that. I think a crew chief should show confidence in their driver every once in a while and put the race all on their shoulders by throwing them up front in not the best of circumstances.
 
I get your point, but don't entirely agree. That riverboat gambler stuff only gets you so far, and it usually only works if you have a REALLY good car. I remember Jeff Gordon behind the wheel, and the work the team put up during the week making Ray Evernham look like the genius of geniuses on race day. For awhile, Paul Wolfe seemed like the genius of this era, and then all of the sudden it didn't seem to work so much any more. Chad Knaus looked like a genius when he had Jimmie in his prime, and probably a tenth or two on the field. In the last few years with Jimmie, and then with Byron, Chad just looked to be throwing crap on the wall and seeing if any of it stuck. Given the choice, I would just rather Alan give Chase a really good car and then just not do anything that takes the race out of his hands.
 
Piggybacking off the Alan is a strength point....... When the Gen 7 comes out this will be his third car in NASCAR that he was switched to. He was here for Gen. 5, 6 and now 7. He will know what to do when the changes inevitably are needed. and If I remember correctly he was also here for Gen 4 a bit with Kyle Busch at HMS in 04 I think they ran a few before his rookie year. I am not saying the 9 are going to be a dynasty too much randomness in the way a champion is crowned and I think the 18 will open up a can on everyone next year but I would wager on Chase being a participant in the Phoenix Bowl for the next couple of seasons at least. It's an exciting time I'd imagine to be 100% fan of his.
 
4 of his 5 wins this year were with the high HP low down force package, add another if you count the all star race.

I think that says a lot about who Chase is as a race car driver regardless of how many more championships he wins. The boy is good.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
Why does all NASCAR merch look like low budget festival shirts from the 2000s?

ugh.
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Yeah I'm highly irritated with the hat choices. Both in look and the style of them. His website has some better shirt options at least.
 
StandOnIt said:
I think that is a bit over the top optimistically at this point but what the hell. I don't think Chase Elliott wants to be the face of Nascar, it isn't in his DNA, and I don't think it is in his personality to run that many fans off so he doesn't have much of a choice.(see KDB for tips on how to do that) He's all good for Nascar though and he is going to be the most popular driver for years to come. I love to watch him race. Excited to see some of these newer guys catch fire.
Take all of the gizmos away and count bare points and Elliott's performance was pretty decent for the year and he squeaked by Kez for one point. They finished the season strong and have the Cup to prove it. Can't help but be optimistic for the Hendrick bunch next year
r/NASCAR - 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Non-Playoff Point Standings
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Anyone under 900 points (Jones should have had more) really needs work on all aspects of their racing. William Byron will move into 10th ahead of Kurt and that will be your top 10 for the 2021 Chase. Run 5 races and the top 5 will race 5 times for the championship.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
All white hat is gonna get nasty real quick, and you can tell that the hats are super thick and bulky by seeing them on TV.
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Yeah I wouldn't buy a white hat, heck I get stains on all black hats. I just bought the raced version diecast and the champion one. Makes more sense to me since I like cars better then cloths.
 
kkfan91 said:
Yeah I wouldn't buy a white hat, heck I get stains on all black hats. I just bought the raced version diecast and the champion one. Makes more sense to me since I like cars better then cloths.
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I’m probably going to order the lionel elite liquid finish 1:24.
 
be9ak7ts16 said:
Chase will make a bigger impact on racing than his dad did.
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I tend to agree overall with the exception of 1985.
Bill lost the championship that year which was his to loose, but I can't remember anyone more dominate on one plus mile tracks in a single given season.
Someone might post some better numbers for a Gordon season but I think that would represent all of the different sizes or the overall work.

Different cultures too I think Bill meant something special too with his demeanor. That boy was country and my cousins in Georgia would fight for him like a brother. Seriously I think he was like family to them.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
All white hat is gonna get nasty real quick, and you can tell that the hats are super thick and bulky by seeing them on TV.
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The other thing that irks me is the car they're putting on most of the merch isn't the car he ran yesterday with the yellow number lol
 
Hope the best for him keeping his success going. Would be cool to see him keep this train rolling and see where his popularity could take the sport
 
Nitro Dude said:
To answer my own question, I would have to say absolutely. I don't expect everyone to agree with me but I think it is pretty safe to say we may be watching the next Jeff Gordon / Jimmie Johnson. With the popularity of Dale Earnhardt Jr and the driving ability of Jeff and Jimmie I think this young man has become the new face of NASCAR and will carry that title for years to come. I also think this 2020 championship is just the first of many. I am so excited to see what Chase and the rest of the young talent that Rick Hendrick has put together at HMS will do over the next few years.
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And last year we were talking about Kyle Busch as the next GOAT.

Slow down.

The next 90+ winner / 7 champion/ GOAT? After 11 wins and a title by year 5?


Chase has a HOF career ahead of him, no doubt, but I don't think he is quite as Gordon and Johnson..both of whom were MUCH more accomplished by year 5 than Chase.

Chase has a 60-70 win and 3-4 Championship career ahead of him, imo. That isn't the next Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. That's the next Chase Elliot. Or is Chase Elliot.

Why do we need to attach such ridiculous expectations to young drivers? This isn't fair for Chase. Let the kid make his own legacy instead of attaching expectations to it.

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jaqua19 said:
And last year we were talking about Kyle Busch as the next GOAT.

Slow down.

The next 90+ winner / 7 champion/ GOAT? After 11 wins and a title by year 5?


Chase has a HOF career ahead of him, no doubt, but I don't think he is quite as Gordon and Johnson..both of whom were MUCH more accomplished by year 5 than Chase.

Chase has a 60-70 win and 3-4 Championship career ahead of him, imo. That isn't the next Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. That's the next Chase Elliot. Or is Chase Elliot.

Why do we need to attach such ridiculous expectations to young drivers? This isn't fair for Chase. Let the kid make his own legacy instead of attaching expectations to it.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
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Ok...I will go sit in the corner. I didn't aim to scar the kid for life.:flushed:
 
This is awesome
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AdoubleU24 said:
Yeah I'm highly irritated with the hat choices. Both in look and the style of them. His website has some better shirt options at least.
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Great problem to have....2 days later, and the march isn't good enough. The euphoria didn't last long...
 
Revman said:
Great problem to have....2 days later, and the march isn't good enough. The euphoria didn't last long...
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It wasn't but a couple of weeks ago that you were yapping about how bad Chevy blew it with their new car and now look what happened.
 
jaqua19 said:
And last year we were talking about Kyle Busch as the next GOAT.

Slow down.

The next 90+ winner / 7 champion/ GOAT? After 11 wins and a title by year 5?


Chase has a HOF career ahead of him, no doubt, but I don't think he is quite as Gordon and Johnson..both of whom were MUCH more accomplished by year 5 than Chase.

Chase has a 60-70 win and 3-4 Championship career ahead of him, imo. That isn't the next Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. That's the next Chase Elliot. Or is Chase Elliot.

Why do we need to attach such ridiculous expectations to young drivers? This isn't fair for Chase. Let the kid make his own legacy instead of attaching expectations to it.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
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It's also important to keep in mind that when Jimmie was Chase's age, he hadn't even won a single race at the cup level. Chase is already 11 wins and 1 championship ahead of where Jimmie was at almost 25 years of age.
 
Hendrick4ever said:
It's also important to keep in mind that when Jimmie was Chase's age, he hadn't even won a single race at the cup level. Chase is already 11 wins and 1 championship ahead of where Jimmie was at almost 25 years of age.
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WTF :laugh: Johnson's first year in cup he was 25 years old. Elliot isn't 25 yet. Let's look at the first 5 years for both. Elliott has two top 5 season's including his championship his first five years. Johnson had all 5 years in the top 5 with one championship.
 
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StandOnIt said:
WTF :laugh: Johnson's first year in cup he was 25 years old. Elliot isn't 25 yet. Let's look at the first 5 years for both. Elliott has two top 5 season's including his championship his first five years. Johnson had all 5 years in the top 5 with one championship.
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Well in the interest of fairness, the different points systems tend to skew that a little, but you're right that Jimmie was better out of the box. Jimmie also came into a LOT better HMS than what Chase came into, and pre-Cup, Chase's record blows Jimmie into the weeds. The scary thing about Jimmie's first four years is that Chad will tell you if he had figured out things quicker and stopped trying to be a one man band sooner, the utter dominance might have started 2-3 years sooner than it did. I look at the careers of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as perfect storms where all the right elements came together almost from the start. Chase's rise has been a little bit more of a normal progression for a star driver and team. I'm not sure that what happened with Jeff and Jimmie is even possible now. KB might have the most pure talent we have seen in a generation, and look how long that took for him to reach championship form, and he came to HMS only a couple years after Jimmie, and then was on to a team nearly as good or as good.
 
Hendrick4ever said:
It's also important to keep in mind that when Jimmie was Chase's age, he hadn't even won a single race at the cup level. Chase is already 11 wins and 1 championship ahead of where Jimmie was at almost 25 years of age.
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Cup mileages important. And really, it's just a different path today. Chase Elliott had way more stock car experience than Johnson when they entered cup. But Jimmy also had a more versatile skill set and more overall experience outside of a cup car.

To your point though, Chase wasn't ready to win cup races right away so there's definitely been some development over the last 5 years. I just don't think you can use their age as a measuring stick.

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Formerjackman said:
Well in the interest of fairness, the different points systems tend to skew that a little, but you're right that Jimmie was better out of the box. Jimmie also came into a LOT better HMS than what Chase came into, and pre-Cup, Chase's record blows Jimmie into the weeds. The scary thing about Jimmie's first four years is that Chad will tell you if he had figured out things quicker and stopped trying to be a one man band sooner, the utter dominance might have started 2-3 years sooner than it did. I look at the careers of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as perfect storms where all the right elements came together almost from the start. Chase's rise has been a little bit more of a normal progression for a star driver and team. I'm not sure that what happened with Jeff and Jimmie is even possible now. KB might have the most pure talent we have seen in a generation, and look how long that took for him to reach championship form, and he came to HMS only a couple years after Jimmie, and then was on to a team nearly as good or as good.
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Before NASCAR Jimmie was winning off road races and stadium races and Championships against all time great off roaders, wasn't he? He burst into the cup scene with only 3 or 4 years of stock car experience after a pretty successful 4 or 5 years off road and in stadiums.

I wouldn't call that being blown out by Elliot's pretty much strict track to cup..which he was put on at age 14.

It's just a different trip to cup.

That being said, if Chase came into cup in 2018, he would have been winning out of the gate, imo. He had all the tools in 2016, just wasn't quite ready to win at the cup level yet.

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jaqua19 said:
Oh no. Took EA's games for granted. Nascar heat is absolutely dog s***

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I wish we could just copy and past EA's NASCAR Thunder 04 into the new games. Heat 4 is okay but nothing compared to The GOAT. Its embarrassing how little the Heat franchise has to offer for a Next Gen console game
 
Formerjackman said:
Well in the interest of fairness, the different points systems tend to skew that a little, but you're right that Jimmie was better out of the box. Jimmie also came into a LOT better HMS than what Chase came into, and pre-Cup, Chase's record blows Jimmie into the weeds. The scary thing about Jimmie's first four years is that Chad will tell you if he had figured out things quicker and stopped trying to be a one man band sooner, the utter dominance might have started 2-3 years sooner than it did. I look at the careers of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as perfect storms where all the right elements came together almost from the start. Chase's rise has been a little bit more of a normal progression for a star driver and team. I'm not sure that what happened with Jeff and Jimmie is even possible now. KB might have the most pure talent we have seen in a generation, and look how long that took for him to reach championship form, and he came to HMS only a couple years after Jimmie, and then was on to a team nearly as good or as good.
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a person can go around in circles all day with it. But responding to the original post, the closest comparison would be the first five years in cup for both. Comparing Chase's record to Jimmie's when Johnson didn't have a race in cup yet I thought was funny as hell.
 
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