DOVER, Del. – Chase Elliott had been burdened by the lofty expectations that come as the son of a NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and the replacement of a four-time Cup Series season champion.
As the close calls and frustrating finishes mounted while wins eluded him, Elliott could feel the pressure tighten each time he slipped into the Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet.
But once Elliott raced to his first Cup Series win, the second victory wasn’t far behind, and now the 22-year-old pegged as Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s heir apparent for the most popular driver award is thinking championship.
“There isn’t any reason why we can’t make a run at this deal,” Elliott said.
Elliott stayed off pit road during a late caution and avoided similar disasters that struck the Stewart-Haas Racing drivers to pull away and win in overtime Sunday at Dover International Speedway. Elliott earned an automatic berth into the next round of the Cup Series playoffs with races at Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway remaining in this round.