It’s no secret that the conversation of the Most Popular Driver in NASCAR will always involve Chase Elliott in one way or another. After all, not only has he added six consecutive MPD awards in a row to the Elliott family tally, but he was also delighted to know that Tyler Reddick’s son, Beau, would always name the Hendrick Motorsports driver as his favorite, referring to him as ‘Daddy Chase’ every time the young Reddick saw a stock car.

Unfortunately for Elliott, all that’s great never truly lasts long, and a reporter revealed to him this week that Beau had in fact, moved on from the #9 Chevrolet to his father’s side, sending a shockwave of grief down Chase Elliott’s spine.

Chase Elliott is in disbelief after Beau Reddick switches sides!

Only a while ago, Tyler Reddick shared that he believed, “I’m not even anywhere in the top 10, I don’t think,” when talking about his son, Beau’s, list of favorite NASCAR drivers. Going on to express how Chase Elliott was always the first name on the young boy’s mind anytime the conversation went toward stock car racing, Reddick believed Elliott’s popularity and dominant performances in the HMS Chevrolet in earlier seasons had left a lasting impression on his son.

But fast forward to 2024, and while Elliott was talking to a reporter for Charlotte Motor Speedway’s social media, Elliott was the unfortunate witness to the saddening revelation that he was, in fact, no longer Beau’s favorite driver. After an evident change in his body language wiped the smile off his face, Elliott reacted, “That’s devastating, it hurts honestly. It must have been recent, because I saw a picture of him, he was all decked out in his NAPA fire suit for Halloween. Man, I like Beau.”

While the reporter didn’t mention to Elliott the reasoning behind Beau’s change of heart, the HMS driver might find peace once he hears what Reddick said. The 23XI Toyota driver shared how “it was Chase for a very very long time. Chase is still like one of his favorites, but it’s been really, you know, maybe because I won some races. I know Chase had a lot of things going wrong for him this year. Maybe he’s just gotten older.”

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Reddick also shared that while Beau doesn’t necessarily have a list ranked by importance, the chronological order in which he mentions the drivers is a great hint as to who is the ultimate favourite. “Daddy, Bubba, Chase, and then he’ll say Denny,” Reddick added. So while Chase Elliott might have an unfortunate frown after hearing the news from the reporter, it’s safe to say Elliott will not only have to reignite his off-track shenanigans but also redeem his on-track results from 2023.

Will Elliott bounce back after a major upset?

Ever since 2020, Beau’s sentiments regarding Chase Elliott have been shared by a majority of NASCAR fans, but just like the young Reddick’s change of heart, such has been the case with the community, too. After all, Elliott has had arguably his worst season in 2023. Not only did the Hendrick Motorsports star miss the playoffs but also failed to visit victory lane for the first time since 2017.

But to Elliott’s credit, his recovery from the leg injury he suffered after only two races into the season derailed any hopes of redemption. It’s just something about motorsport drivers and skiing that doesn’t sit right! Coupled with another shoulder injury, the HMS driver was really not having the best time of his life. However, as per the latest update, Elliott seems to have worked through the issues and is looking forward to a better 2024 season.

He was quoted by NASCAR, “I had a little procedure on my shoulder. I had an old injury that I needed to get tended to and obviously, the offseason is a much better time to do that than my last surgery.” Unlike last season, Elliott aims to not miss out on as many as six races and is all set to make a comeback at the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum next month.

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It’s safe to say the journey ahead is a long and tumultuous one for Chase Elliott, not only if he wants to get back to winning ways, but also if he would like to reclaim the spot as Beau’s favourite driver!