It’s no secret that Chase Elliott has been making waves recently. Not only has the #9 HMS driver been touted by analysts to be a significant factor behind NASCAR’s growing viewership, but he’s also keen on making it into the playoffs. But when Elliott isn’t surrounded by the pressure that comes with being the Most Popular Driver, the #9 driver takes to the skies in a Cessna. While many think that Elliott now flies himself to every destination, he revealed some key deal-breakers for flying his plane internationally to Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Chase Elliott’s biggest deal-breaker for international trips

What does the average person have to do to travel internationally? Picture this: long queues, uncertain delays, baggage troubles. That’s what the usual schedule looks like for anyone taking a commercial flight, leaving a lot to be desired in terms of convenience. With that said, Chase Elliott has just the right solution for his domestic travels, as the #9 driver has been spotted in Cessna’s on numerous occasions, on his way to a race. Elliott doesn’t have to deal with those long queues, the fear of losing his belongings, and a bunch of other issues when he does use his private plane.

However, international trips on a private plane are another story altogether. Speaking to Dale Earnhardt Jr on the Dale Jr Download podcast, Elliott shared his reluctance with landing at international airports, “No, I don’t mess with that..(..)…I’ve thought about going on some trips, I did a bunch of recons and you know, started getting my stuff and really what stopped me was all the paperwork. It’s a lot of getting online and filing this and filing that and filling out paperwork, sending it off, and getting your sticker back.”

For Elliott, all the added formalities that come with bringing your own plane into a foreign country were too much of an inconvenience. He added, “There’s just a lot that goes into that, so the international flying, it just gets more complicated but as far as just flying inside the United States and abiding by those rules and regulations, that stuff is pretty universal to where I live here and all the places that we go, so it makes a lot of sense.” 

Within the United States, flying a small Cessna wouldn’t pose much of an issue, and is a rather relaxing feeling in itself. But when it comes to going overseas, Elliott believes he’s better off flying commercially: “If I’m leaving the country, I’m probably going (with) Delta.”

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Whilst it’s safe to say Delta Airlines has a lifelong international customer in Chase Elliott, the #9 driver’s fear of inconvenience wouldn’t make much sense to some. After all, he’s a racing driver. But once we understand the perspective with which Elliott looks at his plane, it all starts to make sense.

Elliott’s humble approach to owning a private plane may be surprising!

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For a majority of the population, nothing screams success and power more than having your own private jet. From pop culture glorifying the use of G6s to celebrities picking up multi-million jets to travel in style, it’s good to know Chase Elliott falls far out of that category as a private plane owner. While a million-dollar jet doesn’t exactly fit into the world of humility, Elliott for sure does.

Reflecting on his desires for bigger jets or other plans, Elliott quickly pointed out to Earnhardt Jr that his viewpoint on planes was rather simple. Elliott shared, “For me, more than anything, it’s a tool and you know, it’s one that is to be respected for sure. I enjoy the challenge of it but I can’t say like, ‘I just want to get from point A to point B’. To me it’s about getting where I need to go, doing it in a safe manner. Trying to make good decisions and help me to do my job and to be able to live off-sight from up here.”

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At the end of the day. Chase Elliott views his private plane as a tool that helps him stay on top of his busy schedule. While it may be a status symbol for some, the Most Popular Driver isn’t one to dwell on such factors, focusing on his race-craft instead.