Kevin Harvick Exposes Chase Elliott & Dale Jr’s “Unwanted” NASCAR Burden

NASCAR is a sport all about legacies. From the iconic Petty family to the Allison brothers, stock car racing always finds its way into the bloodstream of generations of drivers. But out of all the drivers that have come with generational talent, Kevin Harvick believes Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr have the most pressure on their shoulders.

After all, living up to the legacy of ‘The Intimidator’ and ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville’ is no small feat.

“You just can’t hide from that” – Harvick sympathizes with the pressure on Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr

When Chase Elliott crossed the line at Texas Motor Speedway to secure his first win after a drought of 42 races, the NASCAR community rejoiced unlike any other. But at the same time, when Elliott had been struggling all through last season, the same fans called the HMS driver’s doom, feeling that he had lost his mojo. In comparison to other drivers, Chase Elliott has always faced more pressure owing to the legendary status of his father.

After all, it isn’t every day that a driver could win the Most Popular Driver award 16 times and also bring in six consecutive poles at Talladega. But now that the focus is on the younger Elliott, Kevin Harvick believes some of the comparisons that have been thrown his way are down to the legacy his father left behind. On the latest episode of Harvick’s Happy Hour, Elliott sat down with Harvick to dissect what it means to live up to such expectations.

Even for Kevin Harvick, seeing an Elliott or an Earnhardt in victory lane was truly a special moment. He stated; “So you’re in this position where your dad is Bill Elliott. There are only two of you that I would put in this category, that’s you and Dale Jr. The importance of you winning a race this weekend may not seem as important to you as I view it.” 

According to the Cup veteran turned analyst, Elliott winning wasn’t just significant to his competence. A win by a driver like C. Elliott or Earnhardt Jr didn’t just add a number to their tally but to that of the insurmountable legacies left behind by their fathers. Harvick highlighted how a Dale Earnhardt Jr win would end up ‘lifting all tides’, sending shockwaves of joy throughout the sport. He added, “When you win, I view it as the same thing. And I’ve been around you enough to know that, you want to be humble and do those things.”

But after Chase Elliott went all of last season without a win, fans immediately began to pile the pressure on. Compared to other drivers, the comparisons weren’t just limited to his own race-craft but spilled over to include Bill Elliott’s legacy in the conversation. So now that Elliott had managed to break that dry spell, Harvick took a moment to highlight the tumultuous journey drivers like him and Junior had to go through to make a name for themselves.

The seasoned veteran concluded, “You do a good job at it, and it’s important for everybody to know how much effort and time, and how much pressure is put on. I believe you and Dale Jr are the only two people that have had as much pressure put on you in this sport unwanted, because you want to go out, you want to be a competitor, and sometimes you just can’t hide from that.”

However, even amid all this pressure, Elliott has tried to drown out the noise and ensure he knows what his aims are.

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Chase Elliott has clear goals for his career

When Chase Elliott’s form dropped off miserably in 2023, the NASCAR community immediately switched sides. From voting for the HMS star, six consecutive seasons as the Most Popular Driver, one poor season was all it took to rile up the masses. Soon enough, the comparisons between Elliott and his iconic father picked up every time the #9 driver failed to deliver a stellar result.

That being said, pleasing the fans was never something Chase Elliott desired in the first place. For the son of NASCAR’s most successful MPD winner, nothing mattered more than bringing home solid results, irrespective of his stature in popularity. He stated, “I get it, how things work, and I recognize that, 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 the best, you know, from a competitive standpoint.” Elliott then explained how he’s always stuck to this mentality. Compared to the times when Elliott would get upset over what the community was saying, the driver now shifted focus to staying true to himself.

“I’ve always tried to stick with that mentality and stick with just knowing that being me is the best way for me to have my happiness and just do my part and continue to let the competitive aspect of racing drive me because that’s what has always driven me ever since I was a little kid. 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 put myself in that category,” Elliott concluded.

So even though Elliott might not be able to hold onto the MPD award for much longer, there is nothing standing in the #9 HMS driver’s way when it comes to his competitiveness on track. As Denny Hamlin highlighted the importance of winning early in the playoff races, do you think Chase Elliott is finally back on track?