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“Just Proud to Have Had Him as Friend” – Chase Elliott on Jimmie Johnson’s Influence

Published 11/12/2020, 7:26 AM EST

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Chase Elliott is the newly-crowned Cup Series champion, and it is his first title. However, Sunday was also a bittersweet day for the Hendrick Motorsports team. This is because the Phoenix race marked Jimmie Johnson’s final race before he walked away from the sport.

Speaking about his teammate, Chase Elliott showered a lot of praise on the 45-year-old. He said, “Jimmie has been such a standup guy. All the things that everybody talks about, the way he carries himself.

“Obviously, his on-track success speaks for itself.

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“But everybody that has had the pleasure of knowing Jimmie Johnson is most proud of him. They are most grateful for his friendship & the example he sets off the race track. Just proud to have had him as friend.”

Elliott admitted that he wasn’t sure if anyone else would ever reach the same level of success that he did. He also insisted that even if Johnson is no longer on the NASCAR grid, he will continue being friends with him. Chase Elliott insisted that Jimmie Johnson has been a great ‘cheerleader’ and supporter.

Chase Elliott will be eager to defend his 2020 title

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Now that Elliott has finally got the job done, the 24-year-old has a new job on his hands. To be precise, he has the unenviable job of having to defend his crown. No one other than Jimmie Johnson, from 2006 until 2010, has been able to successfully defend their title.

USA Today via Reuters

Of course, the other drivers will not make it easy for Elliott, especially his fellow Championship 4 competitors. However, a driver of his caliber will surely be up to the task. There is also the fact that the drivers will also be looking forward to the 2022 season and the Next Gen cars.

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Chase Elliott has also made it clear that he really admires Jimmie Johnson a lot. He has often highlighted the NASCAR legend’s work ethic and competitiveness.

The best part was his humility; even though he was in arguably one of the best teams, he rarely boasted about it. Johnson’s nature makes him all the more likable and very few have spoken ill of him, so he will surely be missed.

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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