Few father-son combinations have reached the top of NASCAR. Even fewer have lifted the Cup Series championship trophy. Lee and Richard Petty, Ned and Dale Jarrett, and Bill and Chase Elliott remain the only three different father-son duos to win NASCAR’s biggest prize. That makes the current generation Elliott’s story especially unique. While Chase has followed in his father’s footsteps on the track, he recently admitted that growing up under Bill Elliott was anything but easy.
Chase Elliott says Bill Elliott’s tough lessons shaped the driver he became
“I got the belt when I was young, too. So, I definitely understand that. I definitely had my share of trying to get away from that, too… You were going to get your a– beat for sure, if you did something wrong.”
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Chase Elliott recently admitted on the latest episode of Racin’ With The Boys while reflecting on his childhood. The 2020 Cup Series winner grinned when thinking back to his early years. But he also made it apparent that his father’s stern methods were intended to help him be ready for the reality of racing.
Bill always took the sport very seriously, Chase clarified. He acknowledged that he probably leaned too much toward having fun, even though he loved racing as a child. And that way of thinking was swiftly addressed by his father. Chase recalled other exchanges in which Bill told him that he needed to give it his all if he wanted to race. It went beyond simply having fun at the track on the weekends. It was about working hard and appreciating the opportunity he got.
In retrospect, Chase Elliott thinks those lessons were priceless. Decades spent behind the wheel affected Bill’s viewpoint. Bill and his brothers became passionate about stock car racing at a young age after being introduced to the sport by their father, George Elliott, a Ford dealership owner. From 1976 until 2012, Bill participated in the NASCAR Cup Series, winning the title in 1988 and setting a record 16 times as the sport’s Most Popular Driver.
Bill has often maintained that he never expected Chase would go the same route, despite his achievements.
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“I wanted him to be whatever he wanted to be,” Bill said during an interview last year. “I never pushed him into this. He always seemed like this is what he wanted to do. I just supported him in what he felt like he needs to do. But it’s his life. He needs to do what he wants to do.”
Chase Elliott’s current perspective on their relationship is consistent with those remarks. He saw a shift in his father’s style as he advanced into the national tiers of NASCAR. Trust took the place of lectures, which grew less frequent. Bill seldom overreacted, even after costly errors. Chase recalled crashing while battling for the lead at Bristol during his younger days. On the drive home, Bill offered just one sentence.
“I don’t think I would have done that.”
There was no yelling or long speech. The message was short, but it stayed with Chase. Now, Chase Elliott claims that he is more grateful than ever for that balance. His father demanded discipline when he needed it. But as he grew older, Bill respected his decisions and allowed him to race his own way. For one of NASCAR’s most successful father-son duos, that mutual respect may be the biggest legacy they have built together.
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