Former Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Chase Elliott, and Dale Earnhardt Jr have been NASCAR’s Most Popular Drivers for two decades. Junior’s career-best 3rd place finish in the 2003 season with DEI kicked off this extraordinary run which was later picked up by the Hendrick #9 right after the iconic #88’s retirement in 2017.

As of 2023, Elliott has collected 6 MPD awards but still has a long way to go to match Dale Jr.’s record-setting 15. Nevertheless, these two racing icons share more than just the popularity crown. Both Chase and Junior have proven their winning capabilities, but the 2020 champion may have even bigger goals in sight. And in a recent sitdown with Kevin Harvick, Chase acknowledged his dreams that stretch far beyond just an annual ‘popularity contest.’

Dale Jr vs Chase Elliott: A legacy of ‘Popularity’ and racing prowess

Harvick is among the few drivers to have had the chance to compete alongside both Junior and Elliott. Moreover, he is one of the handful to have witnessed the ‘popularity dominance’ of these relatable, reputed NASCAR racers for 21 straight terms. Interestingly, Harvick holds another unique distinction; he’s raced against and alongside two generations of both the Elliotts and the Earnhardts. Therefore, it was only apt that the 2014 champion would pose an interesting question to NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver of the moment while comparing him and his MPD predecessor. It is safe to say Harvick noticed the similarities prior to Chase’s Kansas advance this Sunday.

In a conversation with Elliott on “Harvick Happy Hour,” he explained, “So you’re in this position too where your dad’s Bill Elliott. There’s only a couple– there’s only two of you that I would put in this category, and that’s– that’s you and Dale Jr. The importance of you winning a race this weekend may not seem important– as important to you as I view it. I view it as when Dale would win, it lifted all tides. When you win, I view it as the same thing…” 

Harvick then continued to ask an all-important question: “Do you understand the significance of when you have moments like this, as to what it does for the whole sport?”

“Probably not. Probably not completely. I do understand a lot of it,” answered Elliott to the shock of many. “You know, for me, I didn’t want to start racing to, you know, it wasn’t a popularity contest for me. I wanted to start racing and race because I wanted to be one of the best, you know, from a competitive standpoint.”

Providing further elaborations on his initial sentiments, a determined Chase Elliott then stated, “And I’ve always tried to stick with that mentality and stick with just knowing that being me is the best way for myself to have happiness and just do my part and continue to let the competitive aspect of racing drive me, because that’s what’s always driven me since I was a little kid. And I think if I ever lose sight of that, then I’ve got some bigger problems to address. And it’s always been competition for me. It’s always been the urge and the will to want to mix it up with people that I respect. And I put myself in that category.”

However, the comparisons between Dale Jr and Chase seem to be a never-ending discussion. And even Harvick has his preferences when choosing between the two.

What does Kevin Harvick think?

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In another recent sitdown for his exciting post-retirement ventures, the former SHR and RCR star asked all four drivers from the Joe Gibbs Racing contingent to pick the “better driver” between the former Hendrick Motorsports teammates. All four settled on Chase Elliott, albeit hesitantly. As Martin Truex Jr emphasized an important narrative surrounding the whole debate: “he (Elliott) does have a championship.”

But Harvick stated the contrary in another episode of the Happy Hour, as he said, “For me, I grew up racing with Dale. I think that Dale Jr. had, you know, he had a lot of, he had a lot of different experience in different cars. I would go with, I would personally go with Dale Jr. on that side of the fence.”

However, also Elliott’s vocal admirer, Harvick further said, “People need to understand the magnitude of what they deal with, and how those things go… Both great drivers. I’m a little biased towards Dale Jr… and what he’s done for the sport, but that doesn’t mean that Chase Elliott’s not great as well.”

Regardless, with a growing surge in global popularity, both Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr can only benefit from the debates and discussions surrounding their remarkable achievements.